Mayfly Species Cinygmula par

A medium-sized species, wings tinged with light grey, darker at bases; dark midventral ganglionic marks.

Thoracic notum light pitch-brown, “sometimes approaching light luteo-piceous anteriorly at the sides” (Eaton). Legs sooty to golden brown; base of fore femur and trochanter somewhat paler, base of first fore tarsal joint darker. Wings hyaline, “tinted with light bistre-grey throughout, but with a stronger tint than elsewhere” at the wing roots and in the stigmatic area; near wing roots the color becomes rather dark brown. Venation yellowish brown.

Abdominal segments 2-7 semi-hyaline; tergites largely light brown, the anterior margins, antero-lateral areas, narrow median line and submedian streaks being hyaline, “dirty-whitish.” The three pale longitudinal streaks are outlined in darker color. Sternites paler, the ganglionic areas on 3-7 conspicuously marked with sepia-brown. Segments 8-10 opaque; tergites “Vandyke-brown,” sternites “very light brownish ochre” (Eaton). Tails brown. A large spine on lower outer margin of penes on each side, smaller spine on inner margin (see fig. 103).

This species is allied to both C. confusa and C. hyalina (both now a synonym of C. par), also to the eastern C. atlantica (now a synonym of Cinygmula subaequalis). Distinguishing features are indicated under each of these species.

Described as C. confusa

Body length 9 mm, wing length 10 mm

A rather large species with amber-tinged wings; spines on inner and lower outer margins of penes; purplish mid-ventral patches on hyaline segments.

Head deep red-brown. Thorax light olive brown, the central portion of notum shaded with darker brown; purplish tinges on prothorax, and on pleura below the wings. Coxae of all legs light brown. Fore femur deep purplish, remainder of fore leg blackish; middle and hind legs light purplish brown. Wings “evenly suffused with deep amber color, with dark, clean cut venation” (McD.). Abdominal segments 2-7 hyaline. Posterior half of each tergite purplish brown; indistinct pale submedian streaks outlined in brown are most evident on tergites 2 and 3; on these tergites also, the brown band is wider than on the following segments. Sternites 2-7 with midventral purplish patches, one on each segment. Segments 8-10 opaque, light brown; tergites with slight purplish shading; sternites somewhat paler than tergites. Forceps smoky brown basally; tails deep blackish brown. A spine on inner margin, another on lower outer margin of each side of penes (see fig. 103).

This species is allied to C. hyalina (now a synonym for C. par) and Cinygmula par. The deep amber tinge of the wings distinguishes it from both of these species. The purplish tinge of the fore femur likewise separates it from C. hyalina; the fore leg of C. par is much lighter in color.

Described as C. hyalina

Body length 9? mm, wing length 10? mm

A species with untinted wings; spines on inner and lower outer margins of penes.

The description of this species is largely comparative, with only points of distinction between this and C. confusa (now a synonym of C. par) being indicated. Said to be very similar to confusa in general appearance, but with hyaline wings, tinted very slightly in the stigmatic area only. Thorax somewhat deeper in color than in confusa; legs light to deep brown, but lacking the purple tinge of that species. Tergites 2 and 3 almost entirely brown, with faint traces only of the pale submedian streaks. Posterior margins of tergites brown, with less purplish tinges, and the “definition between the pale and dark areas is less distinct” (McD.). Sternites suffused with whitish, appearing more opaque than in confusa. Penes very similar in structure, but the basal spine on the lower outer margin is relatively longer and straighter, and the divisions of the penes relatively stouter, than in C. confusa. (See fig. 103).

This species is allied also to C. par, from which it may be distinguished by the paler wings and less extensive brown shading on abdominal tergites.