I heard a dobsonfly buzz, then I died
On the stairs, going to the second floor of Maverick Writers Studios, here at VSC, we encountered this:
It was nearly four inches long. Turns out it’s a female Dobson fly. Here’s the male version:
According to this helpful website, “the male, despite his formidable mandibles, is quite harmless. The female, whose mandibles are more functional, might nip if provoked, [but] she too is harmless.” A kind artist with a big can rescued the critter and set her loose outside. Where she is assisting in the demolition of asphalt.
And waiting.
Waiting.
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- I, Dobsonfly « Liz Ahl Poetry pingbacked on 1 month, 1 week ago
never mind. I’m not coming.
| Posted 1 year, 7 months agoOk this is like discovering pygmy tarsiers living in Iowa. Like finding out you don’t have to head south to see penguins. It’s like…its like finding a weta on your porch. I am both in awe of the dobsonfly, and jealous that you saw one. I’m applying for artists retreats all along the Eastern seaboard, today.
| Posted 1 year, 7 months agoOMG. Wow, that’s…formidable.
| Posted 1 year, 7 months agoWe found the larva crawling around our preschool playground today here in central Massachusetts and it was enormous. It is what sent us on a google search. One of our teachers took a picture of it next to a child’s shoe. It was nearly the same size.
| Posted 9 months agoI’ve had a female chilling on my porch all day today – let me tell you it’s abit startling to wake up at 3AM walk outside and notice one of these just a foot and a half above your head.
| Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago