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Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

Lateral view of a Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #308 in Washington
This dun emerged from a mature nymph on my desk. Unfortunately its wings didn't perfectly dry out.
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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Common Roachflies

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

Stonefly Species Tallaperla maria

These are very rarely called Common Roachflies.
Lateral view of a Male Tallaperla maria (Peltoperlidae) (Roachfly) Stonefly Adult from Mystery Creek #42 in Pennsylvania
The adult stoneflies of this family look surprisingly normal given the strange shape of the nymphs. I tried to identify it beyond family level 15 years after collecting it, based on my photos, which are not ideal. It's difficult even to tell the gender for sure because I don't have a good picture of the terminalia, but the body size suggests it's a male, and the species ranges suggest either Peltoperla arcuata or a male Tallaperla maria. One distinctive feature of the original description of this species is that the antennae are paler for a short distance beyond the first two thick, dark segments. That can be seen on this specimen and on a specimen on BugGuide identified as Tallaperla maria.

Common Roachflies

Scientific Name
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