Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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This is the first of it's family I've seen, collected from a tiny, fishless stream in the Cascades. The three species of this genus all live in the Northwest and are predators that primarily eat stonefly nymphs Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019).
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Creno on Aug 5, 2019August 5th, 2019, 3:37 pm EDT
Just getting back to the PC and a good look at your above pics. I don't think this is Gumaga. From what I can see it lacks the divided mesonotum and the metanotal sclerites are the wrong shape/size for Gumaga. The fact that you couldn't see the antennae makes me think they are right next to the eye. The rest of the characters also suggest this is one of the Lepidostoma and the case suggests pluviale group, which are very common in that part of the world.
Troutnut on Aug 6, 2019August 6th, 2019, 4:10 am EDT
Thanks Dave. I'll move it there.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist