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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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Stonefly Species Isoperla burksi (Yellow Sallies)

Species Range

Identification

Source: Taxonomic Notes On The Eggs Of Eastern Nearctic Isoperla (Plecoptera: Perlodidae: Isoperlinae)

Diagnosis. Szczytko & Kondratieff (2015) placed this species in the Isoperla burksi group with Isoperla cotta Ricker, 1952 and Isoperla orata Frison, 1942. Egg characteristics uniting these species include a concave cross-section, well-developed collar, distinct ridges off-setting the cell impressions, and lack of an eclosion line (Szczytko & Kondratieff 2015). Eggs of Isoperla burksi from Indiana and Kentucky, however, possess a distinct eclosion line (Figs. 4 - 6) that easily distinguishes this species from Isoperla cotta (Szczytko & Kondratieff 2015, figs. 10.14, 10.18) and Isoperla orata (Szczytko & Kondratieff 2015, figs. 37.9, 37.12). Each of the other three characteristics listed above are exhibited by Isoperla burksi.

Physical description

Most physical descriptions on Troutnut are direct or slightly edited quotes from the original scientific sources describing or updating the species, although there may be errors in copying them to this website. Such descriptions aren't always definitive, because species often turn out to be more variable than the original describers observed. In some cases, only a single specimen was described! However, they are useful starting points.

Source: Taxonomic Notes On The Eggs Of Eastern Nearctic Isoperla (Plecoptera: Perlodidae: Isoperlinae)

(Figs. 1 - 6) http: // lsid. speciesfile. org / urn: lsid: Plecoptera. speciesfile. org: TaxonName: 468714Source: Taxonomic Notes On The Eggs Of Eastern Nearctic Isoperla (Plecoptera: Perlodidae: Isoperlinae)

Egg. General shape oblong, cross-section concave (Figs. 1 - 2), anterior and posterior poles broadly-rounded (Figs. 2 - 4). Color pale brown. Collar well-developed, with irregular longitudinal ridges, slightly flared apically (Fig. 3). Follicle cell impressions near collar ranging from elongate to hexagonal (Figs. 1, 3). Chorion covered mostly with irregular-shaped pentagonal or hexagonal follicle cell impressions with thickened elevated ridges (Figs. 4 - 6); floors with numerous shallow pits (Fig. 5 - 6). Eclosion line present (Figs. 4 - 6). Micropyles located along ridges near eclosion line in anterior ¼ (Figs. 5 - 6).


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Stonefly Species Isoperla burksi (Yellow Sallies)

Species Range
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