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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.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
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 Isoperla (Perlodidae) (Stripetails and Yellow Stones) Stonefly Adult from Salmon Creek in New York
A friend brought me this stonefly to photograph. He found it floating on the surface of a trout stream with its wings in a crippled position.
Litobrancha
Knoxville TN

Posts: 51
Litobrancha on Oct 20, 2006October 20th, 2006, 5:16 pm EDT
jason are those mites on the back at about the first or second abdominal segment? bright red little boogers.

at a glance looks like isoperla female. kinda hard to tell with the crippled wings.
Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Oct 20, 2006October 20th, 2006, 6:20 pm EDT
I think it's just a discoloration -- maybe an injury? Maybe a smudge of something. I don't remember very well but I don't think it's a mite or group of mites.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Oct 21, 2006October 21st, 2006, 1:24 pm EDT
I've looked at this specimen several times and have wondered about that red spot as well. I do think that the wide, light stripe on the pronotum (with light borders) and the lack of gill remnants makes placing it in Isoperla a pretty safe bet.

Hey, Jason--do female insects find you unusually attractive, or do you just enjoy making things more challenging?!! :)
Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

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Troutnut on Oct 21, 2006October 21st, 2006, 2:25 pm EDT
do female insects find you unusually attractive, or do you just enjoy making things more challenging?!! :)


I catch a lot of my insects during their egg-laying flights. For some reason, the males just don't do quite as much of that!

It's really frustrating sometimes. It's not just in the insects I collect or photograph; often I can't find a single male aquatic insect anywhere, even though I'm constantly attempting to collect, photograph, and preserve them in alcohol.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Oct 21, 2006October 21st, 2006, 7:54 pm EDT
OK, out of extreme courtesy and utmost respect for our gracious host, I will refrain from saying ANYTHING about the last half of that last sentence. I hope everyone else will show the same restraint! :)
Taxon
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Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on Oct 21, 2006October 21st, 2006, 8:24 pm EDT
But Gonzo, aren't you who directed attention to it?
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Oct 22, 2006October 22nd, 2006, 6:51 am EDT
Roger-

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! Since I had inadvertently provided the set-up (honest, I'm not that clever), I felt compelled to head things off before they got ugly (uglier?). My humblest apologies to Jason and especially to his lovely girlfriend Lena! And just to make sure that all my bases are covered, let me add a famous line from Seinfeld--"Not that there's anything wrong with that!"

Despite Jason's observation that males do not do much egg-laying, I think I just did! :)
Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

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Troutnut on Oct 22, 2006October 22nd, 2006, 7:33 am EDT
Fixed! :-P
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Taxon
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Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on Oct 22, 2006October 22nd, 2006, 12:07 pm EDT
Gonzo-

Sorry, but I couldn't resist giving you a gentle nudge in response to the (obviously good-spirited) humor you directed at Jason.
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Oct 22, 2006October 22nd, 2006, 2:08 pm EDT
Not a problem, Roger. I'll be fine as soon as I get my prescription for Xanax filled! :{ ...zzz... :)

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