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Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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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Female Eurylophella temporalis (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Dun Pictures

I found this specimen along with a male on the surface in the shallows of a long flat in a warm-water smallmouth bass stream, during the middle of the afternoon. This same individual is listed as a separate specimen after molting into a spinner.

Lateral view of a Female Eurylophella temporalis (Ephemerellidae) (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Dun from the West Fork of the Chippewa River in Wisconsin
Artistic view of a Female Eurylophella temporalis (Ephemerellidae) (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Dun from the West Fork of the Chippewa River in Wisconsin
Dorsal view of a Female Eurylophella temporalis (Ephemerellidae) (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Dun from the West Fork of the Chippewa River in Wisconsin
Ventral view of a Female Eurylophella temporalis (Ephemerellidae) (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Dun from the West Fork of the Chippewa River in Wisconsin
Ruler view of a Female Eurylophella temporalis (Ephemerellidae) (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Dun from the West Fork of the Chippewa River in Wisconsin The smallest ruler marks are 1 mm.

This mayfly was collected from the West Fork of the Chippewa River in Wisconsin on June 21st, 2021 and added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 24th, 2021.


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Female Eurylophella temporalis (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Dun Pictures

Collection details
Location: West Fork of the Chippewa River, Wisconsin
Date: June 21st, 2021
Added to site: June 24th, 2021
Author: Troutnut
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