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.
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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.
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.
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Entoman on Feb 23, 2012February 23rd, 2012, 7:56 pm EST
Cussfly -
Yes, I noticed the photo artifact too. I think the racing stripe that Paul was referring to is the very wide one that runs dorsally on Peltoperla. That is what I was referring to anyway. Here's a link to a photo that looks like yours. http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/487
I'd be very interested to see photo evidence of the "big three" and your reports on their fishable numbers. One of those clingers in your photos could very well be a quill gordon. The three tailed one most likely isn't a march brown, though. In fact, I don't think it's possible to tell for sure from evidence in the photo if it's even in the same genus. The crawler nymph is probably invaria (prev. rotunda) unless the leg banding is no longer a reliable character. Luke?
Guys, as far as the racing stripe one the roach stonefly, I believe that is just from the flash, because he didn't have that marking in the bowl, just in the pic.
Yes, I noticed the photo artifact too. I think the racing stripe that Paul was referring to is the very wide one that runs dorsally on Peltoperla. That is what I was referring to anyway. Here's a link to a photo that looks like yours. http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/487
As far as the other thing with the Quills, Hendricksons, and March Browns goes, I can assure you they make up a significant enough portion to make some good hatches. Perhaps, the info just has not made it out there yet... But once again, thank you guys for all your help..
I'd be very interested to see photo evidence of the "big three" and your reports on their fishable numbers. One of those clingers in your photos could very well be a quill gordon. The three tailed one most likely isn't a march brown, though. In fact, I don't think it's possible to tell for sure from evidence in the photo if it's even in the same genus. The crawler nymph is probably invaria (prev. rotunda) unless the leg banding is no longer a reliable character. Luke?
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
PaulRoberts on Feb 24, 2012February 24th, 2012, 7:08 am EST
I see now that the "racing stripe" is from the flash. The Peltoperla I knew from NY were stripe-less too.
Entoman on Feb 24, 2012February 24th, 2012, 9:55 am EST
Paul -
Ah.. The racing stripe I thought you were talking about was the wide pale areas between the wingbuds that connect on the thorax. It could certainly be described that way while holding one in the hand. See this photo of a Peltoperla species http://bugguide.net/node/view/529617.
Sometimes the pale areas aren't that stark, so it is not necessarily a reliable character. Often they are just slightly paler. What is dependable are "...very clear dark pigment spots [on the paler areas] located lateral to [the] ecdysial suture on [the] meso- and metanota" (Stewart and Stark, Nymphs of North American Stonefly Genera, p. 292.). Those spots are a defining characteristic of the genus Peltoperla; they are not found on Tallaperla nymphs.
I think we confused each other over the family name Peltoperlidae vs. the genus name Peltoperla. Your find in NY was most likely Tallaperla maria, being the only species reported from NY (as of 2009) according to B.P. Stark, R.W. Baumann, and R.E. DeWalt. NY also has the species Peltoperla arcuata, but as discussed, it isn't sold brown.
Cussfly - SC has more diversity than NY so there are more species that could fit the characters observable in the photo. I still think it is probably Tallaperla maria, but we'd need to turn it over and get a close up of the gills to know for sure.
Ah.. The racing stripe I thought you were talking about was the wide pale areas between the wingbuds that connect on the thorax. It could certainly be described that way while holding one in the hand. See this photo of a Peltoperla species http://bugguide.net/node/view/529617.
Sometimes the pale areas aren't that stark, so it is not necessarily a reliable character. Often they are just slightly paler. What is dependable are "...very clear dark pigment spots [on the paler areas] located lateral to [the] ecdysial suture on [the] meso- and metanota" (Stewart and Stark, Nymphs of North American Stonefly Genera, p. 292.). Those spots are a defining characteristic of the genus Peltoperla; they are not found on Tallaperla nymphs.
I think we confused each other over the family name Peltoperlidae vs. the genus name Peltoperla. Your find in NY was most likely Tallaperla maria, being the only species reported from NY (as of 2009) according to B.P. Stark, R.W. Baumann, and R.E. DeWalt. NY also has the species Peltoperla arcuata, but as discussed, it isn't sold brown.
Cussfly - SC has more diversity than NY so there are more species that could fit the characters observable in the photo. I still think it is probably Tallaperla maria, but we'd need to turn it over and get a close up of the gills to know for sure.
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
PaulRoberts on Feb 24, 2012February 24th, 2012, 10:15 am EST
Yes, they were solid rootbeer brown. Tallaperla it is.
Entoman on Apr 1, 2012April 1st, 2012, 10:20 pm EDT
Cussfly -
This specimen of yours is buried pretty far back in the thread.
The best I could answer at the time was that it was a perlodid of the Perlodinae or Springfly subfamily. I recognized it, but couldn't remember the name. It's Helopicus subvarians, or Masked Springfly. It is aptly named as the head markings are quite distinctive.
This specimen of yours is buried pretty far back in the thread.
Something different with this stone..?
The best I could answer at the time was that it was a perlodid of the Perlodinae or Springfly subfamily. I recognized it, but couldn't remember the name. It's Helopicus subvarians, or Masked Springfly. It is aptly named as the head markings are quite distinctive.
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
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