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This is Corydalus cornutus — the Eastern dobsonfly
And it looks like it crawled out of mythology

Those massive mandibles? They’re not weapons
At least, not against prey
Males use them in courtship and combat, grappling with rivals like antlered beetles in midair

But it’s not the adult you should fear
It’s what it was before

The larval form, known as a hellgrammite, lives underwater for years
It bites hard
It breathes through gills
And it devours anything it can overpower — from insects to small fish

Then, one day, it climbs out
Sheds its skin
Unfolds wings the size of your palm
And becomes this

It only lives a few days after that
Just long enough to mate
Just long enough to haunt your nightmares

Hellgrammites
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/eastern-dobsonfly/

Wordle 1,445 4/6*

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