Until you have seen a male Dobsonfly, you have not gone back in time to see what some prehistoric insects may have looked like. The Dobsonfly is ominous to look at with its large sickle-shaped mandibles that almost look like instruments of torture. With a body up to several inches long and a wingspan of 4 inches, a male dobsonfly is striking to say the least. With that being said, the mandibles that look so vicious cannot bite a human hard enough to draw blood. The female, however, has shorter mandibles that do have enough strength to draw blood.
Dobsonflies are unique. The adults only have a life span of about one week, usually in July or August, which is just enough time to mate and lay eggs for the next generation. After hatching from the eggs, immature dobsonflies live underwater as hellgrammites. They can live possibly for a few years before emerging to create the pupal stage to live above water until they become adults, and the process starts all over again.
Dobsonflies feed on minnows, tadpoles, insects and other aquatic organisms. They have no interest in humans. Just as a point of interest, the larval stage, called hellgrammite, is a favorite bait for bass fishermen.
Dobsonflies are truly amazing insects.