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.
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I caught this tiny larva without a case, but it seems to key pretty clearly to to Glossosomatidae. From there, the lack of sclerites on the mesonotum points to either Glossosoma or Anagapetus. Although it's difficult to see in a 2D image from the microscope, it's pretty clear in the live 3D view that the pronotum is only excised about 1/3 of its length to accommodate the forecoxa, not 2/3, which points to Glossosoma at Couplet 5 of the Key to Genera of Glossosomatidae Larvae.
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Leeches
This common name refers to only one class. Click its scientific name to learn more.
Animal Class Clitellata-Hirudinae
These are pretty much always called Leeches.
The subclass Hirudinae in the class Clitelatta contains all leeches. Leeches are occasionally found naturally in the drift in trout streams, although I've never heard of them being present in such numbers that they're a major component of the trout's diet.
They make great models for streamer flies because they're so large and ambiguously lifelike, and it's easy to make a little clump of feathers look quite a bit like a leech.
They make great models for streamer flies because they're so large and ambiguously lifelike, and it's easy to make a little clump of feathers look quite a bit like a leech.
