Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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Caddisfly Genus Oecetis (Long Horn Sedges)
Trout may feed selectively on caddisflies of this widespread genus. Their lengthy antennae give them the common name Long-Horned Sedge, although that's also a good description of the rest of the Leptoceridae family.
Where & when
Time of year : Generally spread out, with various species-specific peaks
In 959 records from GBIF, adults of this genus have mostly been collected during July (24%), June (23%), August (19%), May (13%), and September (10%).
In 478 records from GBIF, this genus has been collected at elevations ranging from 3 to 12631 ft, with an average (median) of 2526 ft.
Genus Range
Larva & pupa biology
In Caddisflies, Gary LaFontaine recommends using imitations of Oecetis larvae as searching patterns in May, June, and July on streams where they are abundant.Specimens of the Caddisfly Genus Oecetis
1 Adult
1 Larva
Start a Discussion of Oecetis
References
- Jacobus, L. M., Wiersema, N.A., and Webb, J.M. 2014. Identification of Far Northern and Western North American Mayfly Larvae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera), North of Mexico; Version 2. Joint Aquatic Science meeting, Portland, OR. Unpublished workshop manual. 1-176.
- 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.
Caddisfly Genus Oecetis (Long Horn Sedges)
Taxonomy
Species in Oecetis
Oecetis avaraTan Spotted-Wing Long-Horned Sedges
1
1
Oecetis disjuncta
0
0
Oecetis inconspicuaPlain Red-Brown Long-Horned Sedges
0
0
Oecetis ochracea
0
0
18 species (Oecetis albescens, Oecetis arizonica, Oecetis cinerascens, Oecetis daytona, Oecetis ditissa, Oecetis eddlestoni, Oecetis georgia, Oecetis immobilis, Oecetis nocturna, Oecetis osteni, Oecetis ouachita, Oecetis ozarkensis, Oecetis parva, Oecetis persimilis, Oecetis porteri, Oecetis pratelia, Oecetis scala, and Oecetis sphyra) aren't included.