Does Anyone Know What This Is?

[bloody_rose20]

Okay, so I awhile back saw a bug like this before, and could not figure out what it was. At the time I did not have a camera. Well recently my mom saw the same bug but took a picture. Its not of the best quality but its the best we got. The bug itself is about 3 inches long. If any of you have an idea what this bug is called let me know please?

[warrrreagl]

You're in Vermont? That's the official Secessionist Bug. Once it bites you, then you have to live forever with the sting. Those of us in Alabama know it all too well.

[bloody_rose20]

I looked that name up but cannot find it anywhere. Is that the real name of it or is there a different one used? Yeah I live in Vermont and we have barely ever seen these kinds of bugs, so we definately aren't used to them lol.

[ngdawg]

It's a flying termite:

http://www.termite-i.com/flying-ants-vs-termites.html

Go into the basement and I bet you'd find some dropped wings along the perimeters of the foundation.
They're looking for a home.

[ShaniFaye]

the "flying termite" is the swarmer and is the reproducer. If you're finding them in any part of your house that means there is a crack somewhere letting them in, which usually means the destructive ones (the workers) are able to get where you dont want them too. You dont see the workers, they cannot be exposed to sunlight or they die.

If you're seeing them outside then its not a problem

[ngdawg]

The part of my brain that lives in the gutter notes it looks like a winged penis....

[warrrreagl]

Originally Posted by ngdawg

The part of my brain that lives in the gutter notes it looks like a winged penis....

See, that's where ngdawg is so much smarter than I am. I should have made a cool penis joke instead of a lame Vermont secession joke.

Shani. ShaniFaye! Stop that giggling over there right now.

[BadNick]

Originally Posted by ngdawg

The part of my brain that lives in the gutter notes it looks like a winged penis....

Originally Posted by ShaniFaye

... there is a crack somewhere letting them in...

I hope you guys are using birth control so we don't have to much propogation of certain species.

[ShaniFaye]

ummm huh? what does my comment have to do with ngdawgs?


/just a note, I do have an entomolgoy degree specializing in termites

[MexicanOnABike]

edit: wow. took to long to write. nevermind

[bloody_rose20]

yes it may look like a winged termite, but I just googled the images of what they look like and it looks nothing like this. The head of it has two huge biters, the pics I looked up didn't have those on them at all. So is this a different kind of termite or something different all together? My mother didn't find this in her house, she actually found it on her porch so she put a bowl over it to make sure it couldn't get away.

Plus that other thing next to the big bug is a moth that was dead near it haha so don't look at that bug it just happened to be there when the picture was taken.

[ShaniFaye]

without seeing the body underneath the wings, identification is going to be difficult

what exactly do you mean when you say it has "two big biters"

[MexicanOnABike]

like an earwig. but in the claw is in it's mouth. look closely at the picture and you can see it.

[ShaniFaye]

I must be blind cause I dont see what you're talking about, and I def dont see anything that resembles an earwigs rear end

[bloody_rose20]

Yeah exactly! The rear end of the earwig looks like the mouth of this bug I am trying to figure out. I wish I could have gotten a better pic, but my mom took it and she is all the way in NY lol. Here is a pic of an earwig:

The mouth "biters" look like the rear of this, but not as long of course. Sorry again the picture is fuzzy of the bug I posted about.

[ShaniFaye]

Since I cant see them in the picture....do you mean like on this?

[bloody_rose20]

Its kind of in a beak shape instead of oval like the earwig

Nope check the pic I just posted

Ah nevermind I finally found what it is!!!! Its a Dobsonfly. Never heard of the damn things in my life but here is a clear picture of what that thing looks like lol:

[warrrreagl]

I think it's from Ceti Alpha 5 (or was it 6?). Last seen in Wrath of Khan.

[MexicanOnABike]

exactly. it's super clear on that picture. good job on finding the official name. i'm glad we don't get those huge mofos in my town!

[bloody_rose20]

I know isn't that thing creepy? I mean the information says they only eat other insects, but the females will bite you and draw blood I mean ouch! The things are creepy as hell I hope to never find one again lol.

[fresnelly]

Wait, that thing's over 5cm long?

I didn't know there was a Vermont in the jungles of Brazil. The things you learn...

[eribrav]

FWIW you should not have termites in Vermont.....because it's too cold.
They may at some point make it into the state if the trend of climate warming continues.

[ShaniFaye]

Gee thats going to come as a big surprise to all the many termite companies in Vermont!!! (I stopped counting at 40 in vermont's business listing)

Subterranean termites are found from Ontario Canada south to Florida and as far west as Utah

who in the world told you it was too cold there for Termites? (besides if you read her posts, the bug was in NY not Vermont)

Area of Distribution: The Eastern subterranean termite is the most common and widely distributed termite in the USA, commonly found from southern Ontario, in all eastern states of the USA including Texas. AREAS OF HIGH RISK IN VERMONT include Burlington-VT, Rutland and South Burlington. Identification of Swarmers and Soldiers: Swarming generally occurs during the spring but occasionally a few smaller swarms may occur during the summer. Swarming most often occurs during the morning following a warm rain shower whereby the soil temperature is around 70°F.

[xepherys]

eribrav, yeah you were definitely told a fib. In my 27 years of Michigan living, I've encountered the bastards on many occasions, and it gets damned cold in northern Michigan.

[LoganSnake]

God that's sick.

[StellaLuna]

LoganSnake... please, please tell me you Photoshopped that. So I can sleep tonight.

[MexicanOnABike]

Originally Posted by StellaLuna

LoganSnake... please, please tell me you Photoshopped that. So I can sleep tonight.

looks pretty real. and that reminds me of what my cousin told me about in africa. the Cocroachs there fly and are about 10cm long and they land on you. i don't want to live where shit like that lives!

[LoganSnake]

Originally Posted by StellaLuna

LoganSnake... please, please tell me you Photoshopped that. So I can sleep tonight.

Oh no, that's as real as you and me. Also, MOAB, cockroaches don't only fly in Africa. I've seen more than my share in Ukraine. They're brown, they got wings to glide and they're fricking nasty to look at. However, they weren't 10 cm. I'd say more around 4 or 5 which is still pretty frightening when it's coming at you.

[lurkette]

OHMYGODOHMYGOD EEEEYEW!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I for one welcome our winged overlords.

/brockman

[smooth]

ooooh, this thread was fscking NASTY!

[krwlz]

Yea, we have those flys in new york. We actually also fish with their nasty larvae...



This is before they grow wings, but roughly the same size or smaller than their winged adult versions.

[Adri]

I'm seriously, seriously regretting clicking on this thread.

[eribrav]

Oops my bad!

I stand corrected.

[yournamehere]

Well, you learn something new every day!

I was going to go straight to the bottom of the page and post "Hey, everyone - it's a hellgamite!"

Turns out they're the same thing - never heard them called Dobson fly larvae before, though.

I used to have a friend whose family had a cabin on the Allegheney River - that place was full of hellgamites - and yes - once a year, they sprout wings and fly around!!

[Ourcrazymodern?]

I'm hungry.