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.

Stream photos

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Epeorus albertae (Pink Lady) Mayfly Nymph Epeorus albertae (Pink Lady) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Epeorus albertae (Heptageniidae) (Pink Lady) Mayfly Nymph from the East Fork Issaquah Creek in Washington

This specimen keys to the Epeorus albertae group of species. Of the five species in that group, the two known in Washington state are Epeorus albertae and Epeorus dulciana. Of the two, albertae has been collected in vastly more locations in Washington than dulciana, suggesting it is far more common. On that basis alone I'm tentatively putting this nymph in albertae, with the large caveat that there's no real information to rule out dulciana.

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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.

t Gomphidae and Cordulegastridae

This topic is about the Insect Order Odonata-Anisoptera

Dragonflies and damselflies are in the same order, Odonata, but they are taxonomically separated on an obscure level not built into this site, the suborder. Dragonflies are in the rarely mentioned suborder Epiprocta, and within that suborder is the infraorder Anisoptera, the scientific name by which they're best known. None of that will help you catch trout, but it explains what the hyphen in this page's name is all about.

Example specimens

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Cordulegaster Dragonfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Cordulegaster (Cordulegastridae) Dragonfly Nymph from unknown in Wisconsin

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Hagenius brevistylus (Dragonhunter) Dragonfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Hagenius brevistylus (Gomphidae) (Dragonhunter) Dragonfly Nymph from unknown in Wisconsin

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Cordulegaster Dragonfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Cordulegaster (Cordulegastridae) Dragonfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

This is a realy big, dark dragonfly nymph. Notice how "fuzzy" it is--it's covered with small hairs that collect sediment and debris and camouflage the nymph to match its natural surroundings. The greenish cast in some of the photos of this specimen is due to strange lighting during my first night photographing things for this site.

DMM
Posts: 34

DMM on Nov 26, 2006November 26th, 2006, 4:39 pm EST

This goes for all Gomphidae. If the prementum is flat, and the animal has 4 segments in each antenna, and two-segmented fore and middle tarsi, and a ligula with no median cleft--Gomphid. The Corduligastridae have a spoon-shaped prementum and a cleft in the middle of toothlike processes on ligula. Now you'll know whenever you catch more Odonata.

David

Troutnut

Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758

Troutnut on Nov 29, 2006November 29th, 2006, 5:50 am EST

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind when I'm collecting new specimens. One of my goals for next spring is to take a lot more photos of dragonflies and other invertebrates outside the "big three" orders of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies.

Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist