Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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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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The genus ID on this specimen is confident but species is very tentative, based on the tentative ID of a seemingly-identical specimen from a nearby river a few days apart.
GONZO on May 24, 2009May 24th, 2009, 11:00 am EDT
This spinner is Eurylophella rather than E. invaria. The long 9th abdominal segment of Eurylophella is often the easiest way to avoid confusing the duns and spinners with Ephemerella. The claspers and genitalia of this male are also representative of Eurylophella.
Wiflyfisher on May 24, 2009May 24th, 2009, 3:05 pm EDT
Lloyd, what the heck is Eurylophella???
John S.
https://WiFlyFisher.com
https://WiFlyFisher.com
GONZO on May 24, 2009May 24th, 2009, 4:18 pm EDT
John,
Eurylophella species comprised the "bicolor" group of Ephemerella until Allen elevated subgenera (like Drunella, Serratella, Attenella, etc.) in 1980. Although widespread and fairly common, they are infrequently mentioned in fly-fishing literature. In streams and rivers, Eurylophella nymphs usually inhabit slow, weedy water, but some are also found in lakes. Most Eastern/Midwestern species seem to emerge sometime in June/July. The dark-winged duns can also be mistaken for other species, like Ephemerella needhami.
Eurylophella species comprised the "bicolor" group of Ephemerella until Allen elevated subgenera (like Drunella, Serratella, Attenella, etc.) in 1980. Although widespread and fairly common, they are infrequently mentioned in fly-fishing literature. In streams and rivers, Eurylophella nymphs usually inhabit slow, weedy water, but some are also found in lakes. Most Eastern/Midwestern species seem to emerge sometime in June/July. The dark-winged duns can also be mistaken for other species, like Ephemerella needhami.
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