Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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This one seems to tentatively key to Holocentropus, although I can't make out the anal spines in Couplet 7 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae nor the dark bands in Couplet 4 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae, making me wonder if I went wrong somewhere in keying it out. I don't see where that could have happened, though. It might also be that it's a very immature larva and doesn't possess all the identifying characteristics in the key yet. If Holocentropus is correct, then Holocentropus flavus and Holocentropus interruptus are the two likely possibilities based on range, but I was not able to find a description of their larvae.
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Lastchance on Feb 4, 2012February 4th, 2012, 3:48 am EST
If I'm not mistaken, the first baetis nymphs that appear in the spring in PA have a light olive abdomen and a dark olive thorax. Which species is this? They appear to be size 18s and 20s.
Bruce
Bruce
PaulRoberts on Feb 4, 2012February 4th, 2012, 4:35 am EST
The first to appear in NY (I was aware of, and if I remember correctly, AND if the name hasn't changed!) was tricaudatus. It's a #16/#18 (Mustad) as a dun. If the stream gives a second brood, the later summer ones are smaller.I've found tricaudatus here in CO Front Range streams too, and believe they are our first emergers. They are also #16/#18 as a dun.
Ah! Nymphs, you say... Spring Baetid nymphs run from a light golden olive to a dark brownish olive. I assume that the lighter ones, often smaller, are lesser developed tricaudatus (they don't all mature at exactly the same time, dependent on thermal units apparently), and some are likely immatures of other species. The largest ones (#18/#20 is a good ballpark) with the nearly black wing-buds are the ones about to emerge.
Ah! Nymphs, you say... Spring Baetid nymphs run from a light golden olive to a dark brownish olive. I assume that the lighter ones, often smaller, are lesser developed tricaudatus (they don't all mature at exactly the same time, dependent on thermal units apparently), and some are likely immatures of other species. The largest ones (#18/#20 is a good ballpark) with the nearly black wing-buds are the ones about to emerge.
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