Ferocious hellgrammites! Everything you need to know about the larva of the Dobsonfly!
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- Опубликовано: 24 июн 2021
- Hellgrammites are the aquatic stage of the Dobsonfly, one of the largest insects in North America. The larva prowl among rocks in streams and rivers searching for prey. They are the top invertebrate predator in streams. They live for two to three years in the stream and then crawl from the river, often in mass to pupate in the ground before they emerge as winged adults.
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Hi there. I grew up in WV but have been in the Colorado Rockies for the last 13 years. I was telling about how much I miss the warm waters and all their related life. I was showing him pictures of hellgramites when i stumbled onto your video. I already knew a lot about them, but watched anyway.
I just wanted to thank you for producing this kind of content. You clearly enjoy doing so, and I assure you it is valued.
Thank you. I'll probabaly check out more videos.
Yes! I really had fun making this video! Check out my playlists for more content you might enjoy!
I saw a dobsonfly on a camping trip on Upstate New York a few years ago, and I thought it was a flying lobster! It was so prehistoric, and strange. It took me a couple of years of online searching to figure out what kind of bug it was, but I'm so fascinated by these creatures. Thanks for this great video!
Ha! Great description: "flying lobster" ...they ARE truly fascinating!
“Not at my door today!”
There’s one literally on my door. LOL.
Oh my gosh!
I learned something today; hellgrammites are the aquatic larva of a dobsonfly. Interesting life cycle! Thanks for sharing your knowledge of nature! Impressive!
🙂🙂🙂🙂! It is a fascinating world! So fun you enjoy my videos!
As a young kid we used to swim in streams. I was always a fraidy cat and would not go in unless someone went first. If they remained calm so did I, but if they acted like there was something in there, I was out for good! I used to see these and avoided them at all cost by throwing rocks to scare them or snakes. As I grew older and learned, I used them for fish bait. Thanks for this video!
Love reading YOUR story! Thanks for sharing your experiences with our NAYD learning community! Thanks for taking time to comment ..it energizes me for next video and I really love hearinf from my viewers...and getting to know them over time! Glad you are in our learning group and contributing to make this a rich educational environment! I look forward to hearing from you again!
Just found your channel from someone that had shared a link to this video. I’m in Roanoke and have kayaked, tubed and rafted the New River. Have always been fascinated by hellgramites and Dobson flys. I looked to see if you had done a video on Ant Lions and watched and commented on it too. You have a beautiful place to live! I’ve got to watch more of your videos.
Hi Skywackerjim! Let me know if you come kayak this way...i kayak all the time..check out floyd on the water...on Google..few miles from my place...planning to do a how to build trout pond...build cabin episodes! Great to meet you!
Ran across this vid via reddit. Great job. I'm subscribing and telling all of my grandkids about it.
Awesome! Thank you!
Interesting it showed up on reddit! Cool! Thanks for letting me know! Have the grandkids check out my Playlists for animals or topics the enjoy or want to learn more about!
@@natureatyourdoor it won't be just them. I'll be watching also.
@@guylaraway6102 🙂👍
Super informative! Thank you Mr. Taylor!
You are welcome Katrina!
Just saw these crawling on our trail after a storm, lead me to your video, intimidating looking things in person
They really are! And surprising to see on land, right?
I certainly enjoyed your explanation of the hellgrammite and dobsonfly larvae. I learned
All this as a child from my mother who lived near a river when she was growing up.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Very informative. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it! Welcome to my channel! 👍😄
Excellent informative video. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Glad you liked it! I want to engage people more with the fascinating world, diversity and adaptations of aquatic insects. I thing this was a good start in that specialty!
Great video. Very Informative!
Glad you enjoyed it! thank you Tara!
It been storming here all day, and I live about 60' up from a river. My husband just ran into one of these in the bathroom!!! Thanks for the great video! Very informative and well done! 👏 👏👏
Aaaggghhh! Lol..in the bathroom! So know you know! 😃thanks for share!
I thought they live in the water, why do you think it went looking for this gentleman’s bathroom? Reading material? The funny pages? (If he’s like my husband that’s what it would find… lol)
Great video! An amazing creature!
Thanks J H! They really are!
Nice, so interesting! I run into weird critters everyday in our yard, and I’ve definitely seen these when we camp near rivers for my husband to fly fish
for sure! Where does your husband fly fish?
This is somewhat unsettling. I dreamt of hellgramite last night (It was digging into floors.)... And no I knew nothing about them, not even their existence.
Btw amazing content! Though not much of a nature person but you got me psyched.
Lots of cool things out there! Welcome to my channel!
If you ever find and can do a video a huge black beetle that has too black eye spots on its carapace that trick me into looking like holes, but they are black circles with a very fine white outline. It’s a big one, two inches, has wings under the wing case. I think they fall into my pool from trees above. would love to know more about them, but not sure if it’s native to where you live. We live in northern VA and never saw them at our old house. We live near more forested area now. The diversity of life on our planet is awe-inspiring
Sounds like you found a click beetle! Google it and see if that's it! I would love to do a click beetle episode! i just havent seen one around lately!
thank you very much
You are welcome Floridarader!
It was great to see the beautiful New River again. I had many pleasant times swimming and tubing there as a student at Virginia Tech. I also remember people fishing with hellgrammites there. I am 76 year old now and your video brought back some wonderful memories.
Very cool! I remember tubing at New River Junction in early 80's as well when I was at VT for my Masters in...Aquatic Ecology!
Very cool 👍
Thank you Skylar Kovak!
Found one in Pennsylvania, thanks for the info
That is great big wave! Thanks for share from Pennsylvania! (I am lehigh bio grad btw and U of Penn masters in Ed)
Live for years as a savage killer in a river ghetto in the slime and sludge Trying not to get roped off by some bottom feeding fish that has a bad attitude from getting bullied by the other fish at its School. Finally get the strength and means to leave the ghetto behind only to sleep on the streets of a river bank under something because your so tired. Wondering if it was worth it to leave the ghetto, you fall asleep...
🌄WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY WHEN YOU WAKE UP ON THE SURFACE FEELING BRAND NEW!!! You crawl out and stretch and WHAT THIS??? WINGS?? You begin to fly feeling the breeze rush over your body as you soar. When you land and look around at this new and amazing world. You spot her.. She simply stunning, I mean baby got a set of mandibles that can pinch for hours, just WOW!!! You walk up trying to play it smooth but you gotta make sure she gets a look at you new wings. You KNOW the ladies like fella who takes care of his wings. Long story short, she's the bug of your dreams and talk about love at first sight! Shorty let you knock abdomens the 1st flight. And I don't know, but it's definitely love because she's ALREADY taking about she's pregnant and the eggs are yours! You get scared because you never planned for this at all the last 3 years in the river ghetto, Now 2 days into your new life and you got baby mama drama... It's a lot, but you're so tired, you want to sleep and deal with it tomorrow... Your just so tired... Why... So . ... Tired. . . ... Wings... Too... . . . heav...y... sl..e.eep... . . . .
Ha! EPIC STORY! I LOVE IT! Thanks for share! Lol!
Love it, must be cool to wake up and realize you have new super abilities lol. I wrote one of these once about the new mating call that was being Tracked across Northern America by the Cornell ornithology lab to make my husband laugh while at a hard work day, imagining the ladies liking the new call and the young males all trying to learn this new thing to get the ladies. I love to imagine….
Cool video bro! I’m in SW Virginia myself. Grayson county.
Thanks Hillbilly hard! Love Grayson County! Are these guys pretty thick on the New River up your way?
@@natureatyourdoor they are pretty easy to find
Favorite bait?
@@natureatyourdoor Na ain’t worth getting bit
I believe these guys are in the Neversink River near me as I see dobsonflys near my house. I have been paying closer attention to the visitors to garden and never realized the variety of insects that are around. Enjoy learning about them.
Terri I just passed through and stopped on Delaware near you I think at Port Jervis! Yes...insects are so fascinating ..so many amazing adaptations!
Glad to see a comment from someone near my area. I'm in Bloomingburg, NY....JOHN
I use these in artificial baits, roughly 5” in river & creek mouths to catch bass. They get pretty big in Upstate SC & Western NC.
Very popular small mouth bait here on the New River as well! Thanks for sharing!
The artificial ones out today are so realistic that they perfectly mimic the real thing. Smallmouth, largemouth, catfish will gobble the artificial ones up. They live ones are a good sign that the body of water is pretty free of pollutants since they require that to survive three years in the water.
As boys, my brother and I used to help dad collect these on Deer Creek in Maryland. We used a seine and walked upstream turning stones. Dad used them to fish the Susquehanna. They gave me the creeps. I wouldn't touch them.
Great memories! Susquehanna is a beautiful river!
Great fish bait. Never thought the flying ones could bite until one got my brother between the thumb and forefinger....jaws locked, took him 45 seconds to get it unhooked...more respect, but I still fis with them
..and it's only adult females that bite while males look more intimidating! See my video on adults!
I wonder how they get enough oxygen while clambering on rocks outside the stream. Perhaps the spiky appendages are some sort of defensive armour. Fascinating insect.
Yes Stream-lined Tree care very good observation...i thought about that too! People often find them under rocks not in stream but near it! Yes..very fascinating...or perhaps the spike appendages which appear fleshy add surface area/membranes to pull oxygen from air?
Perhaps both? Thinking that the “lungs” are in a vulnerable place, the gills need protection, as I noticed each one has these spiky projections coming out over it. Might keep little predators from snatching at these important structures but also allows them more surface area. This is a great mental exercise for kids. My daughters looove insects (outside,lol) and we always do this, why do you think it has this or that, why did the creature evolve this way. Bugs are great living educational materials! Thanks for sharing, again! Will watch more or your videos.
I found you by accident...that's good though...but boy would I like to spend a few hour with you and just pick your brain and ask a bunch of questions that would like to know I spend most of my time on the New River
Fire questions away! Also natureatyourdooryt@gmail.com
Catch & Release.....👍😁
You bet! 👍😊
You should do a video on mudpuppys or sirens!
Yes! You are right! And Hellbenders! I know a guy that studies the later with dept of fish and game. Hope to get with him this fall!
My father and I used these creatures for bass bait! But while turning rocks over looking for them, watch out for snakes!!!!
So many people have fond memories of finding and fishing with these!
i am watching another youtuber using a hellgrammite mimicking jig to catch fish, i understood they are aquatic bugs and was wondering if the real thing turns into a flying insect so you answered my curiosity thanks
You are welcome. The adult is fascinating ...did you see my video on adult stage?
@@natureatyourdoor no did not see that one
@@ARCSTREAMS 👍I hope you will check it out! Appreciate you participating with my learning channel!
Beautiful clear water. So weird that once its completed its full molting stage into an adult it doesn't live long.
It is a beautiful river! Mayflies too...live a year in water..literally a day or two as adults...never even feed!
@@natureatyourdoor crazy life
@@sueannsouza690there purpose is lived out by nature.
Are these called Perchbugs by fishermen? Thank you
I have a heard them called a lot of different names by fisherman! I hadn't heard that one yet! Locally they are the favorite bait for small-mouth bass fishing in the New River!
Do they eat those pesky little mosquito larvae (not the big ones)?
They will eat anything they can grab and over power with their jaws!
Are there hellgrammite in Michigan?
Yes there are! 👍😊
Great for Small Mouth
That is what all the local New River Small mouth fisherman tell me!
He was giving them the D -net
Yes! 🙂👍
That is a really long time in water water
Yes it is...cooler water...longer winters up to 3 years til final molt...farther south ...shorter time. Some of the big dragon fly nymphs in local first or second order streams do same! Thanks for commenting here! I am all about interacting with viewers! :-)
Now is the right time we find here lots in our country
What country..or county is that?
@@natureatyourdoor Nagaland India 🇮🇳 .if possible wanna share some pictures but can't here.
@@henryspencer1953 I wish we could post photos in RUclips comments too! Welcome Nagaland India! You can share pictures as on "visitor posts" on my Nature at Your Door" Facebook page.
@@natureatyourdoor i'av share in your facebook page
@@henryspencer1953 great ..i 'll go ck!