CORYDALIDAE - DOBSONFLIES
Dobsonflies are large, eyecatching insects armed with vicious protruding mandibles (larger in the male). Depsite the intimidating and slightly frightening appearance of these bugs, the mandibles are actually too large (in the male at least) to have the leverage necessary to break human skin, rendering their bite surprisingly weak. Both sexes posture aggressively when threatened, opening the mandible and raising up as if ready to strike, whilst foul-smelling anal secretions act as a secondary defence. The wings are approximately twice the body length and densely crisscrossed with intersecting veins. Larvae (known as hellgrammites to anglers) are aquatic and spend several years living under rocks on stream beds. Larvae emerge onto land to pupate and adults exist purely as a reproductive phase, dying after mating or egg-laying - they apparently do not feed. Adults are frequently attracted to lights.
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Designed by Paul Smith 2006.
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FIGURE 5a

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FIGURE 5b

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FIGURE 5c
FIGURE 1 - Unidentified sp. male - Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 2 - Corydalus sp. female - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith December 2009).
FIGURE 3 - Corydalus sp. female - Procosara, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith December 2012).
FIGURE 4 - Corydalus sp. male - Procosara, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith December 2012).
FIGURE 5a-c - Corydalus sp. male - Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith January 2015).