Vampire Moth Revisited

Tying up loose ends with the big reveal...

First off, nobody was able to guess the name of this ghastly creature

It is called a 'Dobsonfly'

...found in the Americas, Asia and South Africa - this pic I took was in Pennsylvania.  Their larvae are considered to be fantastic bait for fishing

here's some other interesting facts...

"...Though both male and female dobsonflies have sharp mandibles, those of an adult male dobsonfly are actually so big – up to 1 inch (25 mm) – that they are unable to harm humans, as they have such poor leverage that they are incapable of breaking the skin. Their mandibles are used exclusively during mating, where males show them off and grasp the females during copulation. Female dobsonflies, however, retain the short, powerful pincers they had as larvae, so they can inflict painful bites, which can draw blood. Notwithstanding the males' inability to inflict harm, when threatened both sexes will raise their heads and spread their jaws menacingly. They are not venomous, but possess an irritating, foul-smelling anal spray as a last-ditch defense."


a few more pics I had googleized:

larvae -- Yum!