Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana

Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Mount Deborah and Hess Mountains. Two of the greatest peaks of the Alaska Range rise behind the braided, glacial Susitna River. These massive mountains are 35 miles north of where I took this picture.

From the Susitna River in Alaska

Stream photos

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Zapada cinctipes (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph Zapada cinctipes (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Zapada cinctipes (Nemouridae) (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.

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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 Species Polycentropus cinereus (Brown Checkered Summer Sedges)

Where & when

Time of year : June through August; best from mid-June through early July

Preferred waters: Lakes and streams

In 41 records from GBIF, adults of this species have mostly been collected during June (41%), July (32%), August (15%), and May (7%).

In 7 records from GBIF, this species has been collected at elevations ranging from 361 to 5449 ft, with an average (median) of 4964 ft.

Hatching behavior

Time of day : Evening

The pupae emerge on the surface.

Egg-Laying behavior

Time of day: Evening

Females dive to the bottom to oviposit.

Larva & pupa biology

Current speed: Slow

Environmental tolerance: Best in cool, clear water

Shelter type: Larvae live in a silk tube used as an ambush point, or build a net to capture prey

Start a Discussion of Polycentropus cinereus

References

Baumann, Richard W. 1975. Revision of the Stonefly Family Nemouridae (plecoptera) : a Study Of The World Fauna At The Generic Level. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology undef(211): 1-74.
LaFontaine, Gary. 1981. Caddisflies. The Lyons Press.
Swisher, Doug and Carl Richards. 2000. Selective Trout. The Lyons Press.