The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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: Further Descriptions Of Western North American Podmosta Larvae And Their Separation From Ostrocerca Larvae (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) (Figs. 2, 3, 5, 9 - 12, 17, 30, 45, 46)
Characters. Body length male 4.2 - 4.5 mm, female 4.3 - 5.5 mm, light brown above, with mottled dark head pattern, distinct light interocellar spot and light mesal stripe on thorax (Fig. 2). Antennal segments approximately 38, head capsule width male 0.78 - 0.88 mm, female 0.84 - 0.96 mm; eyes large, head wider than pronotum (Fig. 2). Gills absent. Mandibles with 5 or 6 apical teeth; right mandible with raised molar pad (as in other species) that grinds against opposing, depressed molar cup of left mandible (Fig. 17) as in a “ mortar- pestle ” action, molar cup with outer (dorsal) comb of curved teeth (Fig. 17). Lacinia triangular, palmate, with scalloped palm surface, similar to other species. Pronotum bearing short bristles and sensillae scattered over surface and lacking distinct lateral fringe (Fig. 30). Metathoracic wing pads bearing short bristles scattered over surface, and tuft of short bristles on anterolateral corners. Femora bearing short bristles and hairs scattered over dorsal surface, longer bristles apicodorsally (Fig. 3). Tibiae bearing scattered short bristles and few (5 - 8) posterior silky fringe hairs (Fig. 3). Mesosternal Y-ridge faint, closed by an anterior ridge forming a rectangular area. Abdominal terga bearing microtrichia and socketed macrotrichia scattered over intercalary surface and forming a posterior fringe. Sexual dimorphism evident; males with developing hypoproct on sternum 9 (Fig. 10) and in pharate individuals evidence of developing dorsal genitalia (Figs. 9, 11). Cercal segments 22 - 24; cercomeres 1 - 10 bearing apical whorls of stout bristles, fine hairs and sensillae, bristles up to same length as their segment (Fig. 45). Middle and anteapical cercomeres bearing long whorl bristles up to 0.60 times length of their segment, and 3 - 6 fine intercalary hairs up to 0.30 times length of their segment, (Fig. 46) all as seen laterally. Diagnostic characters: light interocellar spot (Fig. 2), and cercal setation as described (Figs. 45, 46).