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3. Please ID these mayflies photographed in Russia

Mayfly duns photographed on a northern Kola peninsula river called the Eastern Litza

The large yellow one looks like something in the Heptangenidae family.
The other one looks like it belongs to the Ephemerellidae family. It is a male to since it has the large turbinate eyes. No idea what species.Nice pictures.

Yuri-

Believe your small male subimago to be of genus Ephemerella. Don't have access to distribution records for the Kola Peninsula, but do know that Finnish Ephemerella include both Ephemerella aronii (actually a junior synonym for Ephemerella aurivillii) and Ephemerella mucronata.

With regard to your large female, it looks a lot like Epeorus, perhaps Epeorus pellucidus. Did your measurement possibly include the length of the tails?

At the very least, my post should trigger some healthy rebuttal.

Thanks Guys

My intial suspicions were Heptangenidae and Ephemerellidae but I am still very uncertain. I have managed to track down a freshwater biologist from PINRO in Murmansk (northern Russia). He or one of his colleagues may have some input.

Roger, I think you could well be on the right track. No, the measurement does not include the tails. It has to be one of the largest mayflies I have seen so far.

If PINRO produce any feedback I will be sure to let you know.

Yuri-

The leading expert on Russian mayflies is likely Dr. Nikita J. Kluge of St. Petersburg University. If you should choose to contact him, please share his response with us.

OK, where else do you get to see photos of Russian Mays?

Louis-

Not sure if that was a serious or rhetorical question. However, if you are thinking that my intent was to discourage Yuri from posting his photos of Russian mayflies on this forum, nothing could be further from the case. It was just that Yuri is already in contact with a Russian biologist, and I thought he might like the name of the ultimate Russian mayfly specialist.

Actually I thought your response was a great one, Roger, giving him some solid suggestions on where to get more help. My comment was more like, "How cool is this, seeing photos of Russian mayflies?" or, "This seems to be the only place I know of where we get such diversity of posts and photos--neat." Remember the guy from (I think it was) Greece who posted up some great photos of trout he had caught? No, I didn't find your post at all discouraging, but rather encouraging, and, if my previous post was confusing, I would like to thank Yuri a bit more clearly in this one for sharing his photos.

I have e-mailed several Russian authorities on ephemera, including Prof
Kluge. I will post any results as soon as i receive them.

Thanks for that contact Roger - he is most certainly the Mayfly guru and both the other scientists knew of him.

Will be in touch.

Yuri-

You are certainly welcome. I am as interested in what they have to say as you are. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they either don't agree on ID, or are unwilling to offer an opinion without male imago in hand to put under the microscope.

Right, here we have it from the master!
"Judging by the photographs, these are male subimago of Ephemerella ignita (smaller, with red eyes) and female subimago of Heptagenia sulphurea (larger, with yellow wings)"

Apparently both a common trans-Palaearctic species.

Thanks for all your help chaps.

Regards

Yuri

Yuri-

Is that Professor Kluge?

Yes, the above was from Prof Kluge.