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.

The Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River in Alaska

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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.

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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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Help with ID

Calloway has attached this picture to aid in identification. The message is below.

Calloway
Asheville, NC

Posts: 5

Calloway on Jul 9, 2008July 9th, 2008, 7:32 am EDT

Got some guys wanting to say the following is a Hex Limbata. I'm not sure what it is but a little light in color for the Hex's I am familar with. Would like to say golden Drake but only two tails.

Thanks

GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681

GONZO on Jul 9, 2008July 9th, 2008, 9:28 am EDT

Keith,

This is Hexagenia limbata. That species displays tremendous variation in appearance over its transcontinental range. Sometimes the observed differences are due to this variation, sometimes they are due to the difference in coloration between male and female, and sometimes they are attributable to capturing the insect at various stages of darkening following a molt. Teneral (freshly emerged) insects will be much paler and will have less distinct markings than those that have had time to age and darken. This is true of nymphs, duns, and spinners. Your mayfly is a female imago (spinner) that has yet to express her egg packets.

Wiflyfisher