Adults

-2 inches

-brownish-gray

-long grayish wings

Eastern male

- 2 long mandibles (jaws) that are about half the length of its body.

- mandibles cannot hurt you ( for grasping female during mating)

Eastern female

- small mandibles

- does hurt if you get bit ands it's very painful.

Larvae

- live underwater (rivers or streams)

- live under a rock to avoid predators

- 2-3 years of their life is spent as a larvae

- strong jaws

- can draw blood from humans

- cannot swim very good so they have hooks on their abdomens so they can grab onto objects.

Facts about Dobsonflies

Males mandibles Female mandibles

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/dobsonfly.htm