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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.

Dorsal view of a Setvena wahkeena (Perlodidae) (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington
As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
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.

Dorsal view of a Hydrophilidae (Giant Water Scavenger Beetle) Beetle Adult from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
This is a water beetle. It is the hardest object in the world to pick up with tweezers. The second hardest is Mount Everest.
DMM
Posts: 34
DMM on Nov 18, 2006November 18th, 2006, 7:58 pm EST
Beetles can be very tricky to identify. It has been my experience that it is extremely difficult to identify many insects to the species level based on pictures alone. It may not be able to be positively identified to genus either. The family is probably correct though, except the family isn't listed here. The family should be Hydrophilidae. Hydrophiloidea is a superfamily designation. Having said that, GONZO's ID could be correct (and if he has the experience, probably is), it's just not possible for me to confirm this.
David
Troutnut
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Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Nov 20, 2006November 20th, 2006, 6:03 am EST
Hey DMM,

Thanks for all the IDs! I've shuffled all the specimens around the site now to fit your recommendations.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

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