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3. How to catagorize 2 and 3 tailed mayflies?

Of the 4 main categories of mayflies (clingers, crawlers, swimmers, and burrowers) are there 2 tailed and 3 tailed mayflies in more than one category? Or are their some categories with both 2 and 3 tailed mayflies in them?

For example: Do burrowers all have only 2 tails?

Ben-



Yes, both clinger and swimmer mayflies have both 2-tailed and 3-tailed nymphal mayflies.



No, all burrower mayflies are 3-tailed in their nymphal stage.

Perhaps the following table will better illustrate this:

Habit – Family – Genus (Nymphal Tails)

Burrower - Ephemeridae - Ephemera (3)
Burrower - Ephemeridae - Hexagenia (3)
Burrower - Ephemeridae - Litobrancha (3)
Burrower - Polymitarcyidae - Ephoron (3)
Burrower - Potamanthidae - Anthopotamus (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Cinygma (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Cinygmula (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Ecdyonurus (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Epeorus (2)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Heptagenia (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Ironodes (2)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Leucrocuta (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Maccaffertium (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Rhithrogena (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Stenacron (3)
Clinger - Heptageniidae - Stenonema (3)
Crawler - Baetiscidae - Baetisca (3)
Crawler - Caenidae - Brachycercus (3)
Crawler - Caenidae - Caenis (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae - Attenella (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae – Caudatella (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae - Dannella (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae - Drunella (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae - Ephemerella (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae - Eurylophella (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae - Serratella (3)
Crawler - Ephemerellidae - Timpanoga (3)
Crawler - Leptohyphidae - Tricorythodes (3)
Crawler - Leptophlebiidae - Leptophlebia (3)
Crawler - Leptophlebiidae - Paraleptophlebia (3)
Swimmer - Ameletidae - Ameletus (3)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Acentrella (2)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Acerpenna (3)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Baetis (2)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Baetis (3)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Callibaetis (3)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Centroptilum (3)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Diphetor (3)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Heterocloeon (2)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Plauditus (2)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Procloeon (3)
Swimmer - Baetidae - Pseudocloeon (2)
Swimmer - Isonychiidae - Isonychia (3)
Swimmer - Metretopodidae - Metretopus (2)
Swimmer - Metretopodidae - Siphloplecton (3)
Swimmer - Siphlonuridae - Siphlonurus (3)

Good table, Roger!

Wow thanks for the info. I love dealing with people who know their stuff.
Thanks again,
Ben

Thats a great table. I'd like to ask what may be a stupid question- do all mayfly nymphs with 2 tails have two as an adult, and all nymphs with 3 tails have 3 as adults?

Thanks,
Alba

If it has two tails as a nymph it will have two tails as an adult (Adults alway have at least two tails, therefore if it has two tails as a nymph it has to have to as an adult, it can't lose one). If it has three tails then it can lose one. Baetis and Maccafertium have 3 tails as a nymph and two as adults. Other mayflies like Ephemerella keep all three tails.

Hi Riverratben,

Your questions don't differentiate between nymph and adult stages so I hope my answers don't confuse. But if they do, please feel free to ask for further explanation.


Yes, There are three tailed species in all four categories in the nymph stage and two categories in the adult stage (all crawlers and many burrowers). Two tailed mayflies are spread among two categories as nymphs (some clingers and some swimmers) and three categories as adults (clingers, swimmers, and some burrowers).


Yes, but the answer may seem confusing because there are several ways this is true. First, there is differentiation between nymph and adult which occurs in three groups (most clingers, most swimmers, and some burrowers). Second, their is differentiation between Genera that occur in those same three groups (some clingers, some swimmers, and some burrowers). Finally, there's even a difference between sexes in a Genus of one group (burrowers)


No. You would have been closer to the mark if you had said three tails because all of them do in the nymph stage and many species do as adults.

Hi Albafly -


As covered indirectly above: Yes about the two tailed nymphs (some swimmers and some clingers), No about the three tailed nymphs (most swimmers, most clingers, and some burrowers). With the exception of a few obscure examples of no importance to fly fishers, the crawlers are the only ones that universally stay three to three.

Riverratben & Albafly -

It seems there's a hope implied in your questions that there might be an easy way to identify mayflies at least to the level of the groups you described. There is (kind of), but (unfortunately) not by counting tails alone. What follows is a "fishermans rule of thumb" that will help you to easily identify mayfly nymphs and adults down to the groups you mentioned:


Nymphs (See duns for habitat and population density)

- Abdomens substantially longer than head and thorax combined, slender legs, streamlined bodies, tails shorter than body length, tiny to large size... Swimmer

- Abdomens substantially longer than head and thorax combined, pincher or tusk like appendages on the front of their heads, feathery gills on their abdomens, short stout legs, short often fuzzy tails, very large size... Burrower

- Abdomens same length or shorter than head and thorax combined with medium to stout legs. Tails same as or shorter than body, tiny to large size... Crawler

- Abdomens same length to substantially shorter than head and thorax, medium to stout legs that are often very long, tails as long as or often much longer than body and usually very strongly splayed, blunt rounded heads as wide or wider than body, flattened shape... Clinger


Duns (here come the tails!)

- Two tails, very tiny or absent hind wings (hard to make out with the naked eye in smaller specimens), slender bodies, tiny to medium size, all water types, common and very abundant... Swimmer

- Two tails, large hind wings, small to medium size, freestone habitat, common and abundant... Clinger

- Two tails, large hind wings, medium to large size, contrasting legs (cream rear and middle legs, dark front legs), freestone habitat, uncommon and rarely abundant in the West... Swimmer

- Two tails, very large hind wings (almost half of fore wing length), usually dark colored, medium to large size, still and slow waters, uncommon but can be very abundant where found... Swimmer

- Two tails, large hind wings, fore wings exhibiting a "window screen" pattern, bodies appear longer than their wings with little increase in width from the middle of the abdomen through the thorax when viewed from below, usually light colored, very large size, still and slow water, uncommon but can be very abundant where found... Burrower

- Three tails, large hind wings, often blotchy fore wings, bodies appear longer than their wings with little increase in width from the middle of the abdomen through the thorax when viewed from below, large size, slow water, uncommon in the west but can be fairly abundant where found... Burrower

- Three tails, medium to small rear wings or absent, tiny to large size, all water types, common and very abundant... Crawler


Spinners

- Same rules apply as for subimagos (duns) except wings are clearer to very translucent, The bodies are generally darker, most often a shade of brown. Also very common to see a difference in coloration between abdomen and thorax.


It may be helpful for you to condense this as best you can & put it on card stock to fit in the lids of your fly boxes (one for nymphs and one for dries). I think it will prove helpful for a quick ID aid.

Even though the critters share substantial physical and behavioral characteristics within the groups, there are also substantial variations. These variations are often important in terms of fly selection and presentation techniques. Each group (with the exception of the clingers) actually contains several different Families. Eventually, you will probably want to be able to identify them at least down to Family and even Genus. As your skill and confidence grows in identification, so will your enjoyment and fishing success. Surgeon General's Warning! This product can be addictive and advantageous to your health.

Hope this helps guys...

Best regards,

Kurt

I was told by some very old Au Sable wise guys that trout can't count...;)

Spence

I learned early on that one of the greatest things about fly fishing is we can get as involved as we want. Another of the greatest things is that trout don't care how involved we are.

Spence -

I think those MI philosophers made it out west!

TNEAL -

You got that right! The trout point that out to me all the time...

Bumping this up for Shawn as well.

Mack,

Thanks, I think. :-)