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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 Amphizoa (Amphizoidae) Beetle Larva from Sears Creek in Washington
This is the first of it's family I've seen, collected from a tiny, fishless stream in the Cascades. The three species of this genus all live in the Northwest and are predators that primarily eat stonefly nymphs Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019).
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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Ranatra Water Scorpion Adult Pictures

Here's a big water scorpion (no relation to actual scorpions). These guys are just about the most sinister-looking creatures you could find, and what's especially creepy is that they can come up out of the water and fly around, as I learned when one left my aquarium and buzzed my head while I was peeking into the microscope at a mayfly nymph.

This water scorpion was collected from unknown in Wisconsin on March 10th, 2004 and added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on January 25th, 2006.

Discussions of this Adult

Genus ID
1 replies
Posted by DMM on Jan 18, 2007
Last reply on Jan 18, 2007 by DMM
Ranatra

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References

Ranatra Water Scorpion Adult Pictures

Collection details
Location: unknown, Wisconsin
Date: March 10th, 2004
Added to site: January 25th, 2006
Author: Troutnut
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