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Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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5
Mar 4, 2009
by Taxon
stonefly ?
Jan 7, 2009 by Sandfly
2
Jan 8, 2009
by Sandfly
1
Dec 18, 2008
by Taxon
Stone
Dec 13, 2008 by Xavier_Carp
4
Dec 17, 2008
by Xavier_Carp
4
Dec 11, 2008
by Lastchance
One more
Nov 17, 2008 by Taju
7
Nov 18, 2008
by Taju
5
Nov 16, 2008
by Creno
Phryganea sayi?
Nov 15, 2008 by Taju
3
Nov 15, 2008
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Ptilostomis?
Nov 15, 2008 by Taju
3
Nov 15, 2008
by GONZO
Some Trichoptera
Nov 14, 2008 by Taju
3
Nov 15, 2008
by Taju
6
Nov 15, 2008
by GONZO
10
Oct 1, 2008
by Creno
1
Sep 9, 2008
by GONZO
2
Sep 2, 2008
by Troutnut
Mayfly I.D.
Aug 25, 2008 by MarkP
4
Aug 26, 2008
by Taxon
Caddisfly
Jun 4, 2008 by Nanz
9
Aug 5, 2008
by Troutnut
10
Jul 27, 2008
by Phillyfired
16
Jul 26, 2008
by GONZO
Help with ID
Jul 9, 2008 by Calloway
2
Jul 9, 2008
by Wiflyfisher
0
Battenkill Bugs
May 12, 2008 by DayTripper
4
Jun 27, 2008
by GONZO
3
Jun 26, 2008
by Grannom
3
Jun 22, 2008
by Willmilne
6
Jun 20, 2008
by GONZO
Unidentified Mayfly
Jun 4, 2008 by And
7
Jun 19, 2008
by And
14
Jun 15, 2008
by Wiflyfisher
5
Jun 14, 2008
by Wiflyfisher
Darth Vader???
Jun 11, 2008 by Freepow
3
Jun 12, 2008
by Shawnny3
2
Jun 6, 2008
by Jman
16
Jun 4, 2008
by And
8
Jun 4, 2008
by And
16
May 20, 2008
by Shawnny3
7
May 12, 2008
by GONZO
1
May 8, 2008
by Isidro
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