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Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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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Armored Mayflies

This common name refers to only one family. Click its scientific name to learn more.

Mayfly Family Baetiscidae

These are pretty much always called Armored Mayflies.
The mayflies of this family are known mostly for their curious shapes, but they can create excellent spinner falls, too. Read about Baetisca, the only genus in this family, for details.
Artistic view of a Female Baetisca laurentina (Baetiscidae) (Armored Mayfly) Mayfly Dun from the Marengo River in Wisconsin
Lateral view of a Female Baetisca laurentina (Baetiscidae) (Armored Mayfly) Mayfly Spinner from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

References

Armored Mayflies

Scientific Name
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