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2. Specimen Discussion
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3. confusing local names+

i think that i fish a fairly good hatch of these on the little j near the town of spruce creek. the hatch is pretty good in the late morning during the early summer. i catch it every year. i always thought they were "blue quills" onacounta their coloration and size. in any event, the fish eat my blueuill emergers and spinners pretty well. is there a major difference between these and paralepts? hatching behavior or any other thoughts?

Gutcutter,

Blue Quill is certainly a good example of the reason why use of common names for mayflies is frequently less than useful. These are the ones of which I am aware including "Blue Quill" in the common name:

Common Name (Scientific Name)
American Iron Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia mollis)
Blue Quill (Epeorus pleuralis)
Blue Quill (Leptophlebia johnsoni)
Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia adoptiva)
Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia debilis)
Blue Quill Spinner (Leptophlebia johnsoni)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia mollis)
Dark Blue Quill (Leptophlebia johnsoni)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia adoptiva)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia bicornuta)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia debilis)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia guttata)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia memorialis)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia vaciva)
Dark Blue Quill (Teloganopsis deficiens)
Dark Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia heteronea)
Dark Iron Blue Quill (Serratella serrata)
Early Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia adoptiva)
Iron Blue Quill (Baetis tricaudatus)
Iron Blue Quill (Diphetor hageni)
Light Blue Quill (Epeorus pleuralis)
Little Blue Quill (Epeorus deceptivus)
Little Iron Blue Quill (Baetis tricaudatus)
Little Iron Blue Quill (Diphetor hageni)
Little Iron Blue Quill (Pseudocloeon propinquum))
Medium Blue Quill (Epeorus longimanus)
Western Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia californica)

Of course, I really haven't answered your question, but I'll leave that to those familiar with the common names in use on the Little "J".

Antonio,

Roger has pointed out to us just how messy this whole thing is. To complicate matters, just as us closet entomologists thought we hand a handle on it, those damn scientists changed some of the bug's names...

The scientific "community" just wants the rest of us hoople-heads to think that they are in an elite club and are oh so esoteric...This stuff is beyond us plebs and is of a realm of secret handshakes and underground, cabal like, meetings...

As an Au Sable guide friend of mine likes to say, "Spence stop troubling yourself. All the oldtimers say, 'When in doubt, tie on a Borchers!'"

Spence

i guess the point has been made. the first time i came across this hatch, i was fishing the little j as the sulphurs were finishing (the dorothea not invaria!). i noticed a #18 mayfly with a reddish abdomen that looked like what we call a "blue quill" in the mountain freestones. the little j is a spring creek influenced small river. i had my stash of bluequills in the truck so i went and got them. i needed a finesse set-up compared to the freestones but the fish ate my flies pretty damn good that day and those outings since. when i came across this thread, out of curiosity, i was wondering if these bugs were the "little red quills" just so i could correct my buddies at the local shop. i never really told them about this hatch 'cause after the little sulphurs, i usually have a lot of the river to myself - most of june and into july - until beetle time.
excellent info but basically - i grabbed a bug, looked at it, switched to a close imitation and slayed the trout. i suspect there is a lot more to it and that's why i'm on this site. guess i'll have to grab one and shoot a picture. do these types of mayflies know how to smile?

Actually their mouth parts are pretty much atrophied in to a permanent smirk.

Spence