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.

Stream photos

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Amphizoa Beetle Larva Amphizoa Beetle Larva

Dorsal view of a Amphizoa (Amphizoidae) Beetle Larva from Sears Creek in Washington

This is the first of it's family I've seen, collected from a tiny, fishless stream in the Cascades. The three species of this genus all live in the Northwest and are predators that primarily eat stonefly nymphs Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019).

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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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Caddisfly Genus Protoptila (Saddle-case Makers)

These very tiny caddisflies (hook size 24-28) are not very important to anglers, because of both their size and the fact that they prefer warmer water. On rare occasions they are abundant enough to be significant.

None of the books I've checked suggest which individual species are important.

Where & when

Time of year : Midsummer

In 183 records from GBIF, adults of this genus have mostly been collected during June (30%), July (25%), August (20%), May (14%), and September (7%).

In 12 records from GBIF, this genus has been collected at elevations ranging from 3 to 5968 ft, with an average (median) of 1761 ft.

Genus Range

source

Map of specific collection sites

Hatching behavior

Time of day : Afternoon or evening

Egg-Laying behavior

Time of day: Afternoon or evening

Larva & pupa biology

Current speed: Fast

Environmental tolerance: Found in warm water or thermally marginal trout streams

Discussions of Protoptila

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References

LaFontaine, Gary. 1981. Caddisflies. The Lyons Press.
Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. 2019. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America (Fifth Edition). Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Swisher, Doug and Carl Richards. 2000. Selective Trout. The Lyons Press.