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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 Neoleptophlebia (Leptophlebiidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Some characteristics from the microscope images for the tentative species id: The postero-lateral projections are found only on segment 9, not segment 8. Based on the key in Jacobus et al. (2014), it appears to key to Neoleptophlebia adoptiva or Neoleptophlebia heteronea, same as this specimen with pretty different abdominal markings. However, distinguishing between those calls for comparing the lengths of the second and third segment of the labial palp, and this one (like the other one) only seems to have two segments. So I'm stuck on them both. It's likely that the fact that they're immature nymphs stymies identification in some important way.
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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Mayfly Species Siphlonurus rapidus (Gray Drakes)

This species may reinforce spinner flights of Siphlonurus quebecensis and Siphlonurus alternatus.

Where & when

Time of year : May through June

Most accounts say this species hatches through June, but Knopp and Cormier in Mayflies: An Angler's Study of Trout Water Ephemeroptera say it may last through the end of September.

In 29 records from GBIF, adults of this species have mostly been collected during June (72%), July (14%), and May (10%).

In 1 record from GBIF, this species has been collected at elevation of 1401 ft.

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.

Male Spinner

Body length: 10 mm
Wing length: 12 mm

A medium-sized light brown species, having a discontinuous mid-ventral brown stripe.

Head grey to yellowish. Thorax dull yellowish to olive brown. Mesonotum yellowish, shaded with reddish brown on the median area. A pale spot before the scutellum. Scutellum reddish brown. Purplish streak anterior to wing roots. Pleural sutures yellowish. Pale bands across the mesosterna and metasterna. Fore leg yellowish brown, the tarsi yellowish; joinings purplish brown. Middle and hind legs yellowish, the femora washed with purplish brown; joinings purplish brown. Wings hyaline, very faintly tinged with brown. Stigmatic area opaque whitish. Veins dark purplish brown. All costal cross veins distinct, brown; about 11 before the bulla, 21-23 beyond it, in the stigmatic area. The latter veins are occasionally forked and anastomosed near the costal margin.

Abdomen purplish brown dorsally. The usual dark lateral triangles present, more or less diffuse; dark oval spots small, indistinct. Pale anterior triangles semi-hyaline, whitish; much reduced in size on the basal and apical tergites. Ventrally pale yellowish white, with a discontinuous dark purplish brown mid-ventral streak. Sternites 1 and 2 largely purplish brown. Forceps base yellowish white, forceps and penes brown. Tails yellowish white, joinings purplish brown. Genitalia as in fig. 122.


Start a Discussion of Siphlonurus rapidus

References

Mayfly Species Siphlonurus rapidus (Gray Drakes)

Taxonomy
Species Range
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