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.
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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.
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.
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Brooklover on Apr 22, 2008April 22nd, 2008, 1:22 pm EDT
I was curious if there is an under water camera that can be left in a pool that will transmit to the internet? If so how much would it cost. im tryin to find out what a small stream in my area holds. Even a camera that was trigered by motion or was on a timer would work. kinda like a game camera that hunters use.
CaseyP on Apr 22, 2008April 22nd, 2008, 2:01 pm EDT
d'you mean like those cameras they point at construction sites? we watched the new Nationals Stadium get built that way. too cool for words! a large construction firm might be able to steer you to whoever puts up cameras for them. then you'd need a waterproof box; oh, and some electricity...when it's up, be sure to let us know!
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
Brooklover on Apr 23, 2008April 23rd, 2008, 11:31 am EDT
nothing that sophisticated. ive seen cameras in walmart that hunters set up on deer trails to see whats traveling by. There motion triggered. not sure if i could get a waterproof case for one. also not sure if just the motion of the water would set them off or not.
Brooklover on Apr 23, 2008April 23rd, 2008, 11:34 am EDT
nothing that sophisticated. ive seen cameras in walmart that hunters set up on deer trails to see whats traveling by. There motion triggered. not sure if i could get a waterproof case for one. also not sure if just the motion of the water would set them off or not.
Shawnny3 on Apr 23, 2008April 23rd, 2008, 1:01 pm EDT
I would worry about the camera being either stolen or washed away.
-Shawn
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Troutnut on Apr 23, 2008April 23rd, 2008, 4:09 pm EDT
It's going to be really hard to do what you want to do, and probably only possible if the stream is right next to your house. You need, at the very least, an electrical power supply, and probably a way to run computer cords out there. A car battery isn't enough power. You wouldn't want to try it unless you're really good with electronics.
I've looked into the possibilities for this pretty exhaustively in the last couple weeks because I'm going to do something similar with my research (though recording instead of transmitting to the Internet, which would be impossible unless tethered to a computer). For long-term surveillance I'm going to use an Aqua-Vu AV DVR ice fishing camera hooked up to two car batteries in parallel, and I'll still have to switch out the recording media every 8 hours to get 24 hours of video. Then I'll have to go recharge the two 50-pound batteries before I can do it again. Very far from ideal...
My recommendation is to figure out what's in the stream the old-fashioned way, by sitting on the bank and watching.
I've looked into the possibilities for this pretty exhaustively in the last couple weeks because I'm going to do something similar with my research (though recording instead of transmitting to the Internet, which would be impossible unless tethered to a computer). For long-term surveillance I'm going to use an Aqua-Vu AV DVR ice fishing camera hooked up to two car batteries in parallel, and I'll still have to switch out the recording media every 8 hours to get 24 hours of video. Then I'll have to go recharge the two 50-pound batteries before I can do it again. Very far from ideal...
My recommendation is to figure out what's in the stream the old-fashioned way, by sitting on the bank and watching.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
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