My son David and grandson Peter were walking along the New River Trail that
borders Chestnut Creek in Galax, VA, when they spotted a huge and interesting
bug. This was a real whopper and very scary looking since it seemed to have
massive and dangerous jaws. But I recognized it as a harmless male dobsonfly,
which is the adult form of the aquatic hellgrammite, familiar to fishermen as a
good bait for smallmouth bass. The larvae are fierce aquatic predators for two
to five years and then metamorphose and emerge from the water for only a few
days to breed, but do not feed at all. The spectacular jaws of the male are
used to joust with other males and possibly to grasp the females for mating.
They are related to fish flies and alder flies and are usually placed in a
group called the Megaloptera. They are found widely in the eastern US from
Canada to Florida and Mexico. Yet very few people have seen the reclusive
larvae and ephemeral adults. So put it on your bucket list to discover the
remarkable dobsonfly.
Bill Dunson
Galax, VA and Englewood, FL
http://lemonbayconservancy.org/news-blog/nature-notes-by-bill-dunson/
http://pieenvironmental.blogspot.com/
http://www.galaxgazette.com/blogs
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Dobsonfly at Galax NRT 6.17.15 Bill Dunson IMG_7451 dd.jpg
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Dobsonfly on Peter Dunsons arm Galax NRT 6.17.15 Bill Dunson IMG_7460 bb.jpg
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