The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
Source: Description of the female of Parapsyche cardis Ross (Hydropsychidae: Arctopsychinae) and a revised key to the genera of Hydropsychidae (Trichoptera: Annulipalpia) of the southeastern United States, using wing characters
Diagnosis. Hind wing crossveins sc-r and r-rs are not coincident in the insertion on R, their insertions being separated by at least the length of crossvein r-rs. Paired, sclerotized, anteroventrad-directed projections are visible inside segment IX.
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: Description of the female of Parapsyche cardis Ross (Hydropsychidae: Arctopsychinae) and a revised key to the genera of Hydropsychidae (Trichoptera: Annulipalpia) of the southeastern United States, using wing characters
Description. Wings (Fig. 28): fwl = 10.6 – 14.4 mm; = 12.1; ? = 1.18 (N = 32). Wings sub-hyaline, infuscate with light mottling, shape typical for subfamily. Female genitalia (Figs. 21 – 23): Segment IX (IX) in lateral view (Fig. 21) relatively short in its longitudinal dimension throughout its height; anterior margin sinuous; dorsum about 1 / 5 th as long as height of segment IX, produced as prominent angle dorsally; in caudal and internal views (Figs. 22, 23), dorsum with vertex convex; sides of segment IX with pronounced lateral bulge in basal 1 / 3 rd; with paired, sigmoid, sclerotized rods inserting inside venter of segment IX. Prominent articulation ventrolaterally between segment IX and segment X (X), with segments IX and X strongly sclerotized. Pair of circular setal patches (sp) mediolaterally on posterior horizontal face of dorsum of segment IX, setae in 3 rows (Fig. 27).