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.
Featured on the forum
This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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.
Konchu on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 2:41 am EDT
"When scaled to body length and compared to 227 other acoustic species, the acoustic energy produced by Micronecta scholtzi appears as an extreme value, outperforming marine and terrestrial mammal vocalisations" (from the online journal, PLoS ONE . Link goes to original article.
PaulRoberts on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 3:46 am EDT
So... how do they use it?
Konchu on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 5:09 am EDT
From the article:
Here we report for the first time the acoustic behaviour of Micronecta scholtzi (Fieber, 1860), a common aquatic bug that produces an extremely loud courtship song. This insect is a few millimetres in length yet can produce sound audible from the riverside. This suggests the emission of intense signals departing from the body size to amplitude rule.
Here we report for the first time the acoustic behaviour of Micronecta scholtzi (Fieber, 1860), a common aquatic bug that produces an extremely loud courtship song. This insect is a few millimetres in length yet can produce sound audible from the riverside. This suggests the emission of intense signals departing from the body size to amplitude rule.
Oldredbarn on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 6:45 am EDT
a common aquatic bug that produces an extremely loud courtship song. This insect is a few millimetres in length yet can produce sound audible from the riverside.
Before I found my wife and she settled me down, I was known to do the same thing when the cutie-pies in their bikini's slid by in their canoes on the good old Au Sable...:) "Hey fisherman! Are you having any luck today?" "That depends sweetie...Where you girls camping this evening? I have a bottle of Gavi chilling in that feeder spring over there...I could bring it along and we can sing Kum-by-ya around the fire tonight..."
The first TroutNut who makes a wise crack about "a few millimetres in length" will get his ears boxed...;) Especially if it's Tony!
Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Taxon on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 7:10 am EDT
Micronecta scholtzi: a European species of lesser waterboatman
Entoman on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 9:53 am EDT
Spence -
Not wanting my ears boxed, I'm going to stay away from millimeters (whether true or not). However, did those bikini clad cutie-pies cause any emission of intense acoustic signals departing from the body size to amplitude rule?
Not wanting my ears boxed, I'm going to stay away from millimeters (whether true or not). However, did those bikini clad cutie-pies cause any emission of intense acoustic signals departing from the body size to amplitude rule?
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Oldredbarn on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 10:11 am EDT
Not wanting my ears boxed, I'm going to stay away from millimeters (whether true or not). However, did those bikini clad cutie-pies cause any emission of intense acoustic signals departing from the body size to amplitude rule?
In a manner of speaking...;)
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Falsifly on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 10:41 am EDT
The first TroutNut who makes a wise crack about "a few millimetres in length" will get his ears boxed...;)
Do I detect just a wee bit of self consciousness?
Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
Oldredbarn on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 11:46 am EDT
Allan,
As you may recall, Dr Ziggy Freud once said, after he noticed his audience staring at his cigar..."You must remember, that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar..." ;)
"wee bit"...Is that metric as well?
Spence
As you may recall, Dr Ziggy Freud once said, after he noticed his audience staring at his cigar..."You must remember, that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar..." ;)
"wee bit"...Is that metric as well?
Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Jmd123 on Jun 16, 2011June 16th, 2011, 12:08 pm EDT
It depends on just how many millimeters we are talking about here - a few, or a few hundred?? Size does matter...
;oD
A few astronomy jokes here, which for some reason I've never seen exploited on a t-shirt or bumper sticker:
"How many inches do YOU have?"
"Astronomers stay up ALL NIGHT!"
Jonathon
;oD
A few astronomy jokes here, which for some reason I've never seen exploited on a t-shirt or bumper sticker:
"How many inches do YOU have?"
"Astronomers stay up ALL NIGHT!"
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Quick Reply
Related Discussions
Topic
Replies
Last Reply
8
Sep 25, 2014
by Jmd123
by Jmd123
Re: Not fly fishing, but some neat winter dogsledding pictures...
In the Photography Board by Troutnut
In the Photography Board by Troutnut
3
Feb 2, 2010
by Oldredbarn
by Oldredbarn
7
Jun 10, 2009
by Troutnut
by Troutnut