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.

Looking across Island Lake toward the Titcomb Basin—one of the popular crown jewels of the Wind River Mountains

From Island Lake in Wyoming

Stream photos

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Setvena wahkeena (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph Setvena wahkeena (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Setvena wahkeena (Perlodidae) (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington

As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.

7 Recently Added Photos

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 variabilis (Tiny Winter Blacks)

Species Range

source

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.

Description from GBIFthe Global Biodiversity Information Facility

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 shown herein from eastern Tennessee is symmetrically trapezoidal with no appearance of lateral lobes (Fig. 48). The specimens examined from eastern Kentucky have small, laterally-directed spurs, yet still lack the appearance of lateral lobes. The specilla are broad basally, tapering slightly and not recurved; specilla mostly smooth in appearance, bearing shallow pits along the distal outer margin and very few raised tubercles (Figs. 49 - 52). The subanal lobes are narrow throughout length, gently recurved anteriorly, and ca. 90 % the length of the inner lobes (Figs. 49, 51 - 52).

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