Identification Needs

Identification Needs

This page includes an automated list of specimens in need of more detailed identification. Because my academic specialty is salmonid ecology and I'm not an entomologist by training, I can only partially keep up with accurately identifying all the invertebrates I collect. I haven't had time to develop the at-a-glance familiarity experts have with many western species, and keying them out is often time-consuming or impossible from photographs, even with all the closeups I take. So I still rely on the generous volunteer help of more experienced entomologists to keep up with specific IDs. This page is intended to facilitate that help and prevent specimens from falling through the cracks.

If you can help with an improved ID on any of the specimens listed, please comment on the specimen page or email me at jason@troutnut.com with the specimen ID number (visible in its URL) and identification. If you can provide the rationale for the identification in a public comment, so others can learn more from it, that's ideal -- but feel free to just drop the name if you're busy and you're somebody I already know and trust to get it right.

Each list is prioritized with the specimens most recently added to the site appearing first, regardless of collection date.

Specimens unidentified to family

Mayflies unidentified to family

None. All caught up on these.

Caddisflies unidentified to family

None. All caught up on these.

Stoneflies unidentified to family

None. All caught up on these.

Diptera (true flies) unidentified to family

None. All caught up on these.

Specimens unidentified to genus

Mayflies unidentified to genus

10

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

This one sat unseen on my hard drive for 18 years, until I noticed that it wasn't on the site and added it in 2023.

7

Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

7

Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

This dun emerged from a mature nymph on my desk. Unfortunately its wings didn't perfectly dry out.

5

Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Dun

This female dun was kind of interesting, having a bit stouter proportions that I'm used to seeing. I forgot to photograph her against the measurement scale.

7

Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Spinner

I only caught a couple of these, and they were both females, so I'm not sure I'll be able to identify it any further.

6

Female Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Spinner

7

Female Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Spinner

6

Female Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Dun

4

Male Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Dun

4

Female Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Dun

11

Male Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Dun

5

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

6

Female Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Dun

This one was collected in association with a male spinner, but they appear to be different families.

4

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

5

Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

7

Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

7

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Spinner

5

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

I captured this dun on the same night as a spinner which is probably of the same species.

8

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Spinner

This is one of the smallest mayflies I've ever collected, about 3mm long.

13

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Spinner

This species is probably in Centroptilum, Cloeon, or Procloeon. I captured this spinner on the same night as a dun which is probably of the same species.

11

Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Dun

This specimen is really strange, very different in form from any other mayfly I've seen. Unfortunately it was found alone crippled in an eddy and in pretty bad shape, and I couldn't find any others like it.

10

Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

This male nymph is probably in its final instar. The wing pads are extremely black and the large turbinate eyes are very apparent inside the nymph's head.

3

Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

4

Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Dun

2

Male Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Nymph

4

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

This specimen was collected on the same trip as a similar dun.

8

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

This specimen was collected on the same trip as a similar dun.

3

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

4

Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

8

Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Spinner

5

Female Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Dun

I found this little dun floating down the water's surface stuck in her nymphal shuck. Such stillborn insects are sometiems targeted by the trout. I brought this one home to photograph since it's a species I don't have yet, but I haven't figured out which one.

Caddisflies unidentified to genus

10

Limnephilidae (Giant Sedges) Caddisfly Larva

This specimen resembled several others of around the same size and perhaps the same species, which were pretty common in my February sample from the upper Yakima. Unfortunately, I misplaced the specimen before I could get it under a microscope for a definitive ID.

9

Leptoceridae Caddisfly Adult

9

Leptoceridae Caddisfly Adult

17

Leptoceridae Caddisfly Adult

This specimen keyed easily to Leptoceridae, but I hit a bit of a dead end in the genus key, because I can't seem to find the cross-veins in the wings that are supposed to help narrow it down. I took pictures of all the relevant features under the microscope; maybe somebody with more experience with the family can help.

8

Male Hydropsychidae Caddisfly Adult

7

Leptoceridae Caddisfly Adult

6

Male Leptoceridae Caddisfly Adult

12

Male Leptoceridae Caddisfly Adult

2

Hydropsychidae Caddisfly Adult

These specimens are either Cheumatopsyche or Hydropsyche. They escaped before I could catch them.I suspect, based on size, they are Hydropsyche, they are about 1/4 inch in length. Both H. occidentalis and H. californica are common in the Touchet River.

5

Hydropsychidae Caddisfly Larva

This is one of the most vividly green Hydropsychidae larvae I've caught.

9

Brachycentridae (Apple Caddis and Grannoms) Caddisfly Larva

The closed-off case opening suggests this one was already beginning to pupate, which also explains the unusual shape. I damaged it a little bit getting it out of its case.

2

Hydropsychidae Caddisfly Larva

2

Philopotamidae Caddisfly Larva

Stoneflies unidentified to genus

11

Perlodidae (Springflies and Yellow Stones) Stonefly Nymph

This one seems to lead to Couplet 35 of the Key to Genera of Perlodidae Nymphs and the genus Isoperla, but I'm skeptical that's correct based on the general look. I need to get it under the microscope to review several choices in the key, and it'll probably end up a different Perlodidae.

4

Male Chloroperlidae (Sallfly) Stonefly Adult

This specimen unfortunately was blown away by the wind mid-way through the photographs, so I wasn't able to preserve it for an ID or get some of the other angles.

4

Chloroperlidae (Sallfly) Stonefly Adult

2

Perlidae (Golden Stone) Stonefly Nymph

This is a nymph that has recently molted thus has not yet acquired its normal coloration.

7

Chloroperlidae (Sallfly) Stonefly Nymph

4

Perlodidae (Springflies and Yellow Stones) Stonefly Adult

6

Capniidae (Snowfly) Stonefly Adult

7

Taeniopterygidae (Willowfly) Stonefly Adult

3

Capniidae (Snowfly) Stonefly Adult

This drowned Capniidae adult showed up in my drift net sample while I was looking for nymphs. I took photos of the drowned adult in water like a nymph.

4

Capniidae (Snowfly) Stonefly Nymph

Specimens of select taxa unidentified to species

Ephemerella mayflies unidentified to species

2

Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

Ephemerella is a very common genus of mayfly in Montana but nymphs are difficult to identify to species.

8

Female Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Spinner

I've seen Ephemerella invaria with green egg sacs and Ephemerella subvaria with yellow one. This one seems too large for dorothea. So what is it? I'm not sure. Many females of this species were gathered in tight clouds to lay their eggs over the riffles in a mid-sized Pocono stream right at dusk. It would have been a fishable spinner fall if I'd stuck around to wait for them.

3

Male Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Spinner

12

Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

This specimen isn't in the best of shape, as it's missing all three tails, but it's the only one of its species I captured in this sample.

5

Male Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

The striking coloration of this Ephemerella nymph earned it a turn under the camera lens. It has a different look than others I've collected, but I still might tentatively guess it belongs to the widely variable (and ironically named) invaria species.

2

Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

I found this specimen in the same collection as a similar one. Since I only have strange views of this one, it's possible that they're actually the same specimen and I somehow confused my picture-ordering and got the impression that they're different nymphs.

3

Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

4

Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

Drunella mayflies unidentified to species

3

Male Drunella (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

Paraleptophlebia mayflies unidentified to species

5

Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Dun

I hadn't seen an intact adult mayfly to catch all day, when suddenly I saw this Paraleptophlebia dun flying six inches in front of my face and nabbed it with my hand without even thinking. It has some sort of bright debris on it that probably comes from placing it in a transport container that hadn't been cleaned recently enough.

7

Male Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Dun

1

Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Spinner

This female is probably P. heteronea or P. memorialis since these are the two species collected during the last two weeks. It is interesting that the females are this very dark brown color while the males are lighter in color.

1

Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Spinner

1

Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Spinner

This female exhibits the dark chocolate color so common in this genus.

1

Male Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Spinner

Near P. memorialis.

5

Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Dun

3

Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Dun

4

Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quill) Mayfly Dun

I really hoped to catch some good blue quill specimens on this trip, but they are very fragile mayflies and this one was in the best condition of the few that I caught after I drove them home to my camera. It may not be pretty, but you get an idea of the size/shape/color anyway.

Siphlonurus mayflies unidentified to species

5

Female Siphlonurus (Gray Drake) Mayfly Spinner

Egg-laying females of this species were the most noticeable insect over the water at dusk on this small trout stream in Wisconsin's Blue Hills. I caught several of them along with one male netted in mid-air mated to one of the females.

12

Male Siphlonurus (Gray Drake) Mayfly Spinner

Egg-laying females of this species were the most noticeable insect over the water at dusk on this small trout stream in Wisconsin's Blue Hills. I caught several of them and photographed one, but this was the only male, netted in mid-air mated to one of the females.

Rhithrogena mayflies unidentified to species

3

Female Rhithrogena Mayfly Spinner

1

Female Rhithrogena Mayfly Spinner

1

Rhithrogena Mayfly Nymph

1

Rhithrogena Mayfly Nymph

Based on the lack of coloration and the two bars on the last tergite this may be Rhithrogena virilis.

2

Male Rhithrogena Mayfly Dun

1

Rhithrogena Mayfly Nymph

Note the unusual red coloration of these Rhithrogena nymphs.

1

Male Rhithrogena Mayfly Dun

9

Female Rhithrogena Mayfly Spinner

I'm very tentatively (see the connected forum thread) sticking this mayfly in Rhithrogena for now.

Cinygmula mayflies unidentified to species

6

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

This one doesn't have the protruding mouthparts typical of Cinygmula, but I think it's just an oddball individual.

5

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

This nymph was one of several mature Cinygmula nymphs collected at the same time as this female dun emerged, so they're probably the same species. Unfortunately there aren't species keys for either stage.

4

Female Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Dun

This female dun emerged from a creek loaded with mature Cinygmula nymphs including this specimen, so they're probably the same species. Unfortunately there aren't species keys for either stage.

7

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

Unfortunately there's no good key to species of Cinygmula nymphs and I didn't find an adult, so this one will have to stay at genus level.

7

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

8

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

7

Female Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Spinner

This female was collected from the same spinner cloud as this male.

7

Male Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Spinner

This male was collected from the same cloud of spinners as this female and is probably the same species. I'm tentatively calling them both Cinygmula for now, but I'm really not sure about that ID yet.

7

Female Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Dun

I'm calling this one Cinygmula just based on the general look and the fact that the genus is very common in this river. Official keys can't rule out other Heptageniidae, though.

11

Male Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Spinner

I'm unsure of the ID on this one; keys put it closest to Cinygmula reticulata, but I'm very doubtful of the species and not positive on the genus. Epeorus is another possibility, but I don't know which species it would be. This one was collected in association with a female dun probably of a different family.

7

Female Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Dun

9

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

8

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

This nymph was one of many I collected with vivid white or semi-transparent markings on the front of the head, the sides of the pronotum, and the last abdominal segments.

7

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

This very strange nymph appears to be undoubtedly Cinygmula, yet it lacks the telltale protruding mouthparts that usually make that genus so easy to identify.

1

Male Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Dun

3

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph