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.

Stream photos

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Zapada cinctipes (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph Zapada cinctipes (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Zapada cinctipes (Nemouridae) (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.

13 Recently Added Photos

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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Unidentified Mayfly

And
Europe

Posts: 14

And on Jun 4, 2008June 4th, 2008, 10:20 am EDT

Dear all,
inspite I have been asking many sources already I have not yet been able to indentify this mayfly. Last day a friend sent me a pitcure of a mayfly he came across in the Yellowstone at Mammut hot spring last July. Well it looked just the same, even though I pictured mine in central Germany. Confiding in your competence I try to the gather your input too.
Hope is ok if instead of posting the pics I put a link to them becasue they 9 pics

http://www.euroflyangler.de/html/private/eff/effimera.php

thanks in advance
Andrea

Taxon

Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311

Taxon on Jun 4, 2008June 4th, 2008, 3:00 pm EDT

Andrea-

Your photos are probably of Heptagenia sulphurea.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

CaseyP

Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653

CaseyP on Jun 4, 2008June 4th, 2008, 3:02 pm EDT

whew! you've got some competition, Jason! well worth the small trouble to copy and paste the link. when do we get this gorgeous specimen on a calendar?

"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra

And
Europe

Posts: 14

And on Jun 5, 2008June 5th, 2008, 12:33 am EDT

Hi Taxon,

I'd exclude H.sulphurea for according to my sources it is small (10 to 14mm)and have no brown longitudinal stripe on the back
any other guess ?
thanks a lot

Andrea

Taxon

Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311

Taxon on Jun 5, 2008June 5th, 2008, 5:06 am EDT

Andrea-

That's my only guess. So, how long are they, anyway? Perhaps I missed it, but I didn't think you mentioned any length. That information would likely be useful to others.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

And
Europe

Posts: 14

And on Jun 5, 2008June 5th, 2008, 9:20 am EDT

Hi Taxon,

I am now in front some literature (mayflies of central Europe - Bauernfeind & Humpesch). In fact I wrongly reported earlier on today about the lenght of E.sulphurea, it is given bewtween 9-12 mm. Sorry, I had it wrong on top of my head.
The one in the picture is at least 15 mm (as visible in the picture number 2). The book reports also that in E.sulphurea all the femora are uniformly gray-yellow colored, without bandage or spots (which are instead visible in picuture 9). As well, according to other sources the abdomen (sternite)of E.sulphurea shows no signs or dots (visible on picture 6).
One thing in favour of E.sulphurea and that match with the schema shown on Mayflies of central europa are the genitalia though. If this is enough to categorize I do not know. Looking forward to further opinions
thanks so far

Andrea

And
Europe

Posts: 14

And on Jun 17, 2008June 17th, 2008, 7:44 am EDT

Hello
I think I solved my conundrum, this is Heptagenia flavia

Andrea

And
Europe

Posts: 14

And on Jun 19, 2008June 19th, 2008, 7:19 am EDT

Sorry for the typo I meant Heptagenia flava

Also the hatching period matches, I took in this pics in May.

The dark stripe on the back is typical on the H.longicauda too but this latter shows up later in the year (July).

Andrea

PS Jason your pictures of the Hexagenia limbata have something that recalls a lot to the pattern of H.flava, the strip on the back and yellow edge on the front wing and the darker margin on the back of the rear wing.. I wonder if they had some common evolution lines :) after all 250 milion year ago there was still Pangea