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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.

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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Stonefly Genus Capnia (Little Snowflies)

This is one of the most common genera of Capniidae.

Where & when

In 47 records from GBIF, adults of this genus have mostly been collected during April (34%), March (21%), May (15%), February (13%), and June (11%).

In 8 records from GBIF, this genus has been collected at elevations ranging from 220 to 8648 ft, with an average (median) of 5338 ft.

Genus Range

Specimens of the Stonefly Genus Capnia

1 Adult

Start a Discussion of Capnia

References

Stonefly Genus Capnia (Little Snowflies)

Taxonomy
33 species (Capnia californica, Capnia cheama, Capnia coloradensis, Capnia confusa, Capnia elongata, Capnia erecta, Capnia excavata, Capnia fialai, Capnia giulianii, Capnia glabra, Capnia hitchcocki, Capnia jewetti, Capnia lacustra, Capnia licina, Capnia lineata, Capnia mariposa, Capnia melia, Capnia nearctica, Capnia ophiona, Capnia oregona, Capnia petila, Capnia promota, Capnia quadrituberosa, Capnia regilla, Capnia saratoga, Capnia scobina, Capnia sextuberculata, Capnia spinulosa, Capnia uintahi, Capnia valhalla, Capnia vernalis, Capnia willametta, and Capnia zukeli) aren't included.
Genus Range
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