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.
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: Sierracapnia, A New Genus Of Capniidae (Plecoptera) From Western North America
Male. Tergum 7 knob wide and usually divided into two lobes, knob width 30 - 40 % of segment 7 width (Figs. 9, 11). Epiproct in dorsal view with sinuous lateral edges, maximum width 16 - 23 % of epiproct length (Fig. 9); maximum width occurs near mid epiproct; apex narrow and pointed; posterior third of epiproct with narrow ventrolateral flange; dorsal membrane light colored. Epiproct in lateral view slightly convex dorsally, deeply keeled ventrally; maximum depth 32 - 35 % of length; maximum depth occurs anterior of mid epiproct; neck thick (Fig. 10). Epiproct dorsolateral horns closely appressed to main dorsal surface; horn length 16 - 20 % epiproct length; horn tips extend forward to 67 - 75 % epiproct length (Figs. 9, 10; Table 1).
Female. Subgenital plate heavily sclerotized and dark; plate covers entire width of sternum 8 from posterior to anterior edge; sclerotization extends onto sternum 7 (Fig. 232, Nelson and Baumann 1989).