A “Junkbug” and Male Dobsonfly Outside!

[Smotzer]

Was hanging out at my grandfathers and had two awesome interactions with some insects. The first thing I saw was this, favorite common name, Junk bug or some Lacewing larvae in Neuroptera with a shell of ant carcasses hiding itself!! They do this as a visual and chemical deterrent and are very beneficial eating aphids whenever they can! And next an awesome Megaloptera the pretty damn big male Corydalus texanus or Texas Dobsonfly! This guy was incredible!! And if you’ve never heard a large dobsonfly fly, it’s quite the experience...!!

 

[Grayman1984]

I’m glad those dobsonflies aren’t as menacing as they look lol

 

[Doodlebird]

Was hanging out at my grandfathers and had two awesome interactions with some insects. The first thing I saw was this, favorite common name, Junk bug or some Lacewing larvae in Neuroptera with a shell of ant carcasses hiding itself!! They do this as a visual and chemical deterrent and are very beneficial eating aphids whenever they can! And next an awesome Megaloptera the pretty damn big male Corydalus texanus or Texas Dobsonfly! This guy was incredible!! And if you’ve never heard a large dobsonfly fly, it’s quite the experience...!! View attachment 387209 View attachment 387210 View attachment 387211 View attachment 387212 View attachment 387213 View attachment 387214 View attachment 387215 View attachment 387216

Those are both really interesting looking! I haven't heard of either

 

[Smotzer]

Those are both really interesting looking! I haven't heard of either

Yeah they are awesome I’m glad you got to learn about a new arthropod/hexapod. At one point when I learned about them for whatever reason I still learned them all under the order Neuroptera being all net viened winged insects hence the Latin name Neuro- Nerve ptera-wing/ed , and then there was a split, three orders Neuroptera- lacewings, mantidflies, antlions , Megaloptera- dobsonflies, alderflies, and fishflies Raphidioptera - snakeflies. These are all under known orders that are truly incredible and kinda all under appreciated for there kinda ‘creepiness’ as so far this year I’ve been able to photograph one family of each orders!!

 

[Introvertebrate]

Like they say, everything’s bigger in Texas.