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Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
Tue Jul 22, 2014, 06:17 AM Jul 2014

World's largest aquatic insect specimen found in China

(CNN) -- The world's largest flying aquatic insect, with huge, nightmarish pincers, has been discovered in China's Sichuan province, experts say.
According to the Insect Museum of West China, local villagers in the outskirts of Chengdu handed over "weird insects that resemble giant dragonflies with long teeth" earlier this month.
Several of these odd critters were examined by the museum and found to be unusually large specimens of the giant dobsonfly, which is native to China and Vietnam.


The largest one measured 21 cm when its wings were open, according to the museum, busting the original record for largest aquatic insect held by a South American helicopter damselfly, which had a wingspan of 19.1 cm.

Large enough to cover the face of a human adult, this scary-looking insect is also known among entomologists as an indicator of water quality, says the museum.




http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/22/world/asia/giant-insect-china/index.html

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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World's largest aquatic insect specimen found in China (Original Post) Ichingcarpenter Jul 2014 OP
Nope Tetris_Iguana Jul 2014 #1
lol MFM008 Jul 2014 #2
Large enough to cover the face of a human adult? bearssoapbox Jul 2014 #3
A Dobson fly. freethought Jul 2014 #4
Definitely wash hands after swatting ... eppur_se_muova Jul 2014 #5
Kill it with fire before it lays eggs! n/t JesterCS Jul 2014 #6
Lots of blood-thirsty posts here Reter Jul 2014 #7
They are just joking Marrah_G Aug 2014 #8

freethought

(2,457 posts)
4. A Dobson fly.
Tue Jul 22, 2014, 08:30 AM
Jul 2014

They are right about one thing, it is big and scary looking. The larval form is called a helagramite. We have our own species of these over here as well.

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