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Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Artistic view of a Perlodidae (Springflies and Yellow Stones) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This one seems to lead to Couplet 35 of the Key to Genera of Perlodidae Nymphs and the genus Isoperla, but I'm skeptical that's correct based on the general look. I need to get it under the microscope to review several choices in the key, and it'll probably end up a different Perlodidae.
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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Lateral view of a Formicidae (Ant) Insect Adult from the Neversink River in New York
I collected this flying ant from the surface of a popular Catskill trout stream, where its species prompted steady rising from selective trout for several late-morning hours. It was mixed with smaller ants of a different color, and I photographed one of them too.
Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

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Troutnut on Oct 3, 2006October 3rd, 2006, 4:17 pm EDT
I had a great morning fishing to flying ants in the Catskills on September 5th. At least a few fish were rising steadily in every pool on my selected stretch of the Neversink, and flying ants were abundant in the air and on the water for hours.

There were two types of ants which I collected and photographed this large, rusty-tinted variety and a smaller type. I'm curious: were they two different species, or different-looking males and females of the same species?

Many ants were descending to the water in pairs, presumably mating. I hadn't yet noticed the difference in sizes, so I didn't check to see if each pair had one large and one small ant.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Oct 24, 2006October 24th, 2006, 5:59 am EDT
I got a great answer to this question by email from Dr. Greg Paulson, who teaches entomology in the biology department at Shippensburg University. They are two different species:

I haven't had time to come up with a definitive id but those ants are two different species. Winged males and females can be easily differentiated by the size of the head relative to the thorax. When viewed from above a male's head is almost always narrower than the thorax. The head of a female is as wide, or wider, than the thorax.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

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