Mayfly Species Ephemera simulans (Brown Drakes)

A dark brown species; both wings with numerous dark blotches and many margined cross veins; tails dark reddish brown.

Head deep blackish brown; antennae pale brown, tips whitish. Thorax deep blackish brown; a large pale patch on prothoracic pleura, mesothoracic pleura marked with smaller pale areas. Median portion of anterior and posterior margins of pronotum narrowly pale, also a narrow pale streak laterad of mesonotal scutellum and pale median area on prosternum. Base of fore leg pale; coxa, trochanter, femur and tibia dark red-brown, joinings blackish; tarsus paler red-brown, each joint darker apically. Middle and hind femora pale reddish brown, tibiae and tarsi yellowish with smoky tinge; all joinings darker.

Fore wing much as in Ephemera varia, but less tinged with brownish apically, many more cross veins heavily margined, several additional brown clouds. Longitudinal veins dark brown, cross veins blackish, those in costal, subcostal and radial spaces widely margined except at apex of last two; many in disc likewise margined, also several near outer margin. Stripe at region of bulla deep brown in color, slightly wider than in varia; in apical third of wing beyond this are two dark brown clouds, at fork of radial sector and at fork in next space below, nearer margin. Cloud toward margin from inner end of bullar stripe larger than in varia, as is also that at base of long intercalary of media; between this and bullar stripe, another small cloud. Veins of hind wing also dark brown, those of basal subcostal space and many in disc dark-margined, the latter forming a number of small dark spots. Outer margin rather widely tinged with light brown (fig. 79).

Abdomen pale brown, with blackish brown markings. On each side of each tergite is a large irregular blotch occupying most of lateral area, and based on anterior margin; lateral and posterior edges of each blotch rather deeply emarginate, so as to leave small pale areas; lateral edges black. Posterior margins of basal and middle tergites narrowly pale brown, also median area, which is narrow on basal and apical tergites, widest on middle ones. On tergites 7-9 a pair of black submedian streaks, very short on 7. Sternites 1-6 with dark lateral triangles, widest posteriorly; 7-9 with dark longitudinal streaks laterally. A pair of small dark spots on each side of median line, on each sternite, also short dark oblique submedian streaks from anterior margin. Middle area of sternite 9 pale. Forceps base and forceps smoky brown; second forceps joint relatively short, as compared with Ephemera varia. Penes broader than in varia; yellowish brown (fig. 82). Tails deep yellow to reddish brown, joinings darker.

This species is darker than any other in our fauna. Distinguished from Ephemera varia as indicated above, also by its much darker body, legs and tails.