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Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

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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Mayfly Species Baetisca callosa (Armored Mayflies)

Physical description

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.

Nymph

Body length: 3.4-4.5 mm

Only the nymph of this species is known. The nymph lacks both the dorsal and lateral spines on the mesonotal shield. Frontal projection short, genae not produced into spine-like processes. From other nymphs of this genus thus far described, it is distinguishable at once by the total lack of both dorsal and lateral mesonotal spines. It is not probable that these spines would be present in the fully mature nymph, although only immature specimens are known as yet.*


Start a Discussion of Baetisca callosa

References

  • Needham, James G., Jay R. Traver, and Yin-Chi Hsu. 1935. The Biology of Mayflies. Comstock Publishing Company, Inc.
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