Above is a closeup of the head with the pectinate, or comb-like, feathery antennae.
The larvae look very similar to hellgrammites, the aquatic larvae of the Dobsonfly that are a favorite bait of many fishermen. They are aquatic and live in calm bodies of water with lots of muck and dead leaves. They will eat plant material and are predatory on minnows, tadpoles and aquatic insects. . The larvae will leave the water to pupate under bark and inside rotting logs. This process takes approximately 10 days. Adults emerge to mate and live only about a week. Eggs are laid in masses on vegetation near ponds and vernal pools. The larvae will hatch and crawl to water.
And just because it is such a cool looking bug, I will include a pic of the male Dobsonfly. It looks ominous, but the pinchers are only used to grasp the female during mating. I am very glad I am not a female Dobsonfly! Photo by John Howard.
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