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Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
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.

Dorsal view of a Grammotaulius betteni (Limnephilidae) (Northern Caddisfly) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This is a striking caddis larva with an interesting color pattern on the head. Here are some characteristics I was able to see under the microscope, but could not easily expose for a picture:
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
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 Species Leuctra carolinensis (Tiny Winter Blacks)

Species Range

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: Leuctra Schusteri, A New Stonefly Species (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) Of The Leuctra Tenuis (Pictet) Group From The Southeastern Usa

Male. The 7 th abdominal dorsal process is large and broadly rounded posteriorly; subtle lateral lobes are evident on central Appalachian populations and further north into New England (Figs. 1 - 2) but essentially absent from northwestern Alabama near the southwestern edge of this species range (Fig. 3). The specilla varies from triangular with a broad base (Fig. 8) to ca. parallel-sided (Fig. 6); distally the specillum is subtriangular with tubercles present and also along the distal outer margin (Figs. 4 - 9). The subanal lobes extend nearly to tip of the specilla, recurved anteriorly in posterior half (Figs. 4, 6 - 9).


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References

Stonefly Species Leuctra carolinensis (Tiny Winter Blacks)

Taxonomy
Species Range
Resources
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