These Slimy, Aquatic Creatures Can Bite and You Can Find Them in Kentucky

There is nothing that will send a weird, indescribable jolt through my system like stepping on something slimy. I almost finished that sentence with "...without knowing what it is," but I don't think that matters.

The prime example is a slug. Have you ever stepped on a slug in your bare feet? It's gross and sends a strange shockwave up my body. After it's rained, I'm very cautious while walking outdoors.

Now, if I'm walking in shallow water, I guess all bets are off. If you happen to step on something in a creek or brook, you really could have seen that coming. But what if it makes its move across the top of your foot? I think that would be disarming. That, however, would be fine if it stopped at that.

Read More: Aarg! This Tiny Pirate Bug Will Bite Your Kentucky Booty Dobsonflies Can Bite

First of all, "hellgrammite" sounds like something you'd learn about in geology class. So let's call it by its non-scientific name. It's a larval dobsonfly, and it's not the kind of "fly" you need to swat away from your face...not in the larval stage, anyway. But it might make you kick wildly in the water if it grazes the top of your foot and you don't know what it is. And if you irritate it enough, it might introduce you to its pincers.

Hellgrammites are found across multiple time zones, and they're here in Kentucky. They are not venomous,  but if you visit the "Critter Files" from the University of Kentucky Entomology Department's website and see the discussion about dobsonflies, you'll know that they are predators.

Get our free mobile app

Dobsonflies' Prey

Their prey is not your toes, but don't agitate them. They "feast" on tadpoles, minnows, and other insects. Interestingly, dobsonflies remain in the larval stage for most of their lives, but when they mature, you should still approach with caution. Those pincers don't go anywhere when they get older.

See? They're even in Ecuador.

Yes, these aquatic oddballs are insects, and you might run across one this summer. Well, one might "run across" you, if you know what I mean.