Reproduction
The large mandibles on the male are used to “capture” females as a part of mating behavior (Arnett. 1985).
Dobsonflies can be determined by their
reproduction near streams where the larvae live. The female
flies lay up to 1000 eggs in flat, round masses that are about
2cm across and resemble bird droppings. She covers them with a
clear fluid that turns white and waxy as it dries. An area where
eggs were can be determined by a ring of white material that
extended beyond the eggs which remains long after they hatch
(Eiseman and Charney. 2010)