Header image
Enter a name
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.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun Pictures

This is a fairly small late-season female Stenacron dun.

Lateral view of a Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York
Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York
Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York
Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York
Ruler view of a Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York The smallest ruler marks are 1 mm.
Ventral view of a Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York

This mayfly was collected from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York on August 22nd, 2006 and added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on August 23rd, 2006.

Discussions of this Dun

S. interpunctatum
5 replies
Posted by Taxon on Aug 23, 2006
Last reply on Aug 24, 2006 by Taxon
Looks to be Stenacron interpunctatum (Stenonema heterotarsale).

Start a Discussion of Dun

Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun Pictures

Collection details
Location: West Branch of Owego Creek, New York
Date: August 22nd, 2006
Added to site: August 23rd, 2006
Author: Troutnut
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy