Mother of the Snake

One can imagine how confused I became when I asked what the footprints were in the dirt (which looked like a snake with many tiny feet) and was told that it was a “pajarito,” or little bird- which there refers to a large  beetle, and that it is the mate to the snake. I highly doubted my Spanish until I went to the Natural Science Museum in Chillan and learned that the common name to this humongous insect was “madre de la culebra,” or “mother of the snake.” Whereas I still doubt I understood 100% correctly, which attests to the challenges often faced when trying communicate in a second or third language, I now also consider it a possibility that the knowledge in the countryside surrounding the creature is largely myth.

In the countryside in Region XIII of Chile these creatures frequently enter the homes at night, causing slight panic because of the understanding that they are “mañoso,” and bite. And that their bites will literally scar you for life. Generally the solution to the problem is to kill them before they get you- not as though they are hard to spot when an insect that looks like a small bird caught in the house enters. But to clean up any confusion, they are not poisonous like the Rincon spider, and they will not bite unless you put any fingers in front of their pinchers. So if you come across one just let it out of the house, it should not harm you.      

Going back to its name- any confusion about its mating partner or life cycle can be cleared by explaining that it called “madre de la culebra” because of the way its giant larva resembles and is associated with a snake. The (female) larva can grow up to about nine inches long, and takes upwards of 4-5 years from birth to mature into an adult. The larva has large mandibles which it uses to feed on the dead tree that it lives in, going back and forth within the trunk, which is why they are prevalent in many logging areas. It then leaves the tree to form a cocoon and transform into an adult. Cool fact- they are sexually dimorphic creatures, meaning that the males and females have phenotypic distinction. The females are black, generally 7-10cm long, and can’t fly. Their larva is considerably larger than the males, because the males are only about 4-5cm long. The males are light brown in color and due to their size and location of wings, they can fly. So the ones that enter the house at night are males, not the horrifically gigantic females.  Endemic to Chile, their habitats range from the forest regions approximately from Coquimbo to Temuco.

There are many myths and legends related to insects that are just that- myth. The “mother of the snake” or “little bird” is an impressive creature that is misunderstood by people that live around its habitat. I am sure that if I asked nobody would have known anybody that had been bitten by a “pajarito,” but regardless if found they are generally eradicated. Although locals are an imperative and indispensable source of knowledge, so are museums, the library, experts and at times even the internet.

These large fellas have many names. Acanthinodera cummingi, madre de la culebra, pajaritos, arrocero... And if you are familar with Spanish you would that translated the last three names are "mother of the snake,"  "little bird" and "rice." An interesting creature, indeed. 

Not the best picture, but the name "madre de la culebra" comes from its large larva resembling a snake.