Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

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BillMcGighan
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Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by BillMcGighan »

Scouting out a trout stream in a local national forest, I met this charming fellow was on the wall of a building streamside.
Just before I snapped the picture, it dropped the small dog that it had in its mouth.
I feel lucky escaping with my life. ;)


Image


It was over 4 inches (>100 mm).

The larva, real or artificial form (hellgrammite) of this guy, is a favorite Smallmouth Bass bait amongst us eastern fishing persons.
Throughout most of the eastern Appalachians, a local name for a hellgrammite is a “Grampus”, a term thought to have given to these insects by Germanic European immigrants because it is reminiscent of the “Krampus”.

In some European regions the “Krampus” is considered the “anti-Santa”, a dark companion of old St. Nick, who dealt severely with naughty children, leaving St. Nicolas to give the good ones rewards (Kind of like the two parties of U.S. congress!)

If you browse the internet for pictures (e.g. http://krampus.com/who-is-krampus.php ), the early North American pioneers may have been on to something!



Please don't hesitate adding pics of relatives.
I mean the Dobsonfly's relatives, not yours. :) ;)
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by soulsurvivor »

4 inches?? I shouldn't have looked at this at bedtime. I'm going to have nightmares now...
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orionmystery
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by orionmystery »

Cool capture. I still haven't found any male dobsonfly with menacing mandibles like this.
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Noah M
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by Noah M »

They almost seem too big to be effective. Like a small kid wielding a broadsword, it would have no control.
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by BillMcGighan »

They almost seem too big to be effective
You're right. You can pick these males up in your hand and they're generally safe.
The grubs that live in the water, the hellgrammites, have some pretty good choppers, and many a kid fishing with them has been pinched. It's the price of catching a fat Smallmouth Bass.
Tamara D. McConnell
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Very cool stuff, Bill.
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by BillMcGighan »

Just a small addendum.

I was salamandering with my grandkids and turned up a hellgrammite, so I thought I'd add it:

Image


and, again,
these are safe to pick up unless you have very small fingers and/or sensitive skin.

Image
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Noah M
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by Noah M »

these are safe to pick up
Okay, but why would you? Gross...totally gross.
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Have you been a good little child this year? Hmmmmm?

Post by BillMcGighan »

Another small addendum:

A female Dobsonfly


Image
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