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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.

Dorsal view of a Sweltsa (Chloroperlidae) (Sallfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This species was fairly abundant in a February sample of the upper Yakima.
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 Susperatus prudens (Angler's Curses)

This is one of the most common species formerly of the genus Brachycercus on trout streams, and it's the only one found in the West.

Taxonomic History

This species was previously classified in Brachycercus.
Species Range

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.

Male Spinner

Described in Needham et al (1935) as Brachycercus prudens
Body length: 3 mm
Wing length: 3 mm

Mesonotum bright brown; fore femur pale smoky; abdomen wholly pale yellowish white.

Eyes black; antennae pale; head lightly suffused with pale brownish. Pronotum pale yellowish white, the median area tinged faintly with smoky posteriorly. Mesonotum rather bright brown, the median area with slight sepia shading; lateral and posterior portions paler. Metanotum light brown. Pleura pale, the episternal area brown-tinged. Coxae and femora of fore legs pale smoky; tibiae and tarsi whitish. Middle and hind legs wholly whitish. Wings semi-hyaline whitish, subcosta and radius dark except at the tip. Abdomen entirely pale yellowish white. Forceps faintly tinged with smoky, tails white. Forceps shorter than in B. idei (now a synonym of Sparbarus lacustris) or B. flavus (now a synonym Sparbarus flavus) (see fig. 160).

This species is closely allied to B. flavus, from which it may be separated by the bright brown mesonotum, the shorter forceps, and the lack of a dark mid-dorsal streak on the apical abdominal tergites. It is smaller than either B. nitidus or B. idei; tergites paler than in the former, and lacking the black posterior margins of the latter species.


Start a Discussion of Susperatus prudens

References

Mayfly Species Susperatus prudens (Angler's Curses)

Taxonomy
Species Range
Common Name
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