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 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 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 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! :)
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! :)