dobsonfly

dobsonfly
noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: circa 1904 a winged insect (family Corydalidae) that has very long slender mandibles in the male and a large carnivorous aquatic larva and that is now usually considered a neuropterancompare hellgrammite

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Dobsonfly — Protohermes grandis Scientific classification …   Wikipedia

  • dobsonfly — ☆ dobsonfly [däb′sənflī΄ ] n. pl. dobsonflies any of a family (Corydalidae) of large neuropteran insects whose larvae live in water: the male, in some species, develops enormous mandibles …   English World dictionary

  • dobsonfly — /dob seuhn fluy /, n., pl. dobsonflies. a large, soft bodied insect, Corydalus cornutus, having four distinctly veined membranous wings, biting mouthparts, and, in the male, huge mandibles that jut out from the head. Cf. hellgrammite. [1900 05;… …   Universalium

  • dobsonfly — noun An insect of the subfamily Corydalinae whose males have long mandibles, found in the Americas and related mostly closely to the fishfly …   Wiktionary

  • dobsonfly — soft bodied insect with large mandibles Unusual Animals …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • dobsonfly — noun (plural dobsonflies) a large North American winged insect related to the alderflies, whose aquatic larva (the hellgrammite) is used as fishing bait. [Corydalis cornutus and other species.] Origin early 20th cent.: of unknown origin …   English new terms dictionary

  • dobsonfly — dob•son•fly [[t]ˈdɒb sənˌflaɪ[/t]] n. pl. flies ent a very large, soft bodied neuropteran insect, Corydalus cornutus, commonly seen in fluttery flight above streams, noted for its abundant aquatic larvae Compare hellgrammite • Etymology: 1900–05; …   From formal English to slang

  • dobsonfly — noun large soft bodied insect having long slender mandibles in the male; aquatic larvae often used as bait • Syn: ↑dobson, ↑dobson fly, ↑Corydalus cornutus • Hypernyms: ↑neuropteron, ↑neuropteran, ↑neuropterous insect …   Useful english dictionary

  • Corydalus cornutus — Adult male eastern dobsonfly Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • neuropteran — /noo rop teuhr euhn, nyoo /, adj. 1. neuropterous. n. 2. Also, neuropteron. a neuropterous insect. [1835 45; < NL Neuropter(a), neut. pl. of neuropterus (see NEUROPTEROUS) + AN] * * * ▪ insect Introduction       any of a group of insects commonly …   Universalium

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