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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Snowsquatch on Jul 8, 2012July 8th, 2012, 10:01 pm EDT
Hi, this is my first post on the site.
I was on a new river today not fishing just scouting and exploring with a friend. Anyhow I was looking for trout forage along the bank on this gem of a river section. I found a large group of stonefly shucks, mostly golden/ yellow SF's but I then found this Huge Green Stonefly shuck.( thought it could be a Dragonfly but wasn't sure.)
I brought it home to i.d. because I don't have a camara just a phone cam. searching Troutnut I think I identified it as a Gaint Salmonfly.
My question is, anyone here familiar with Northern Ontario aquatic insects
and is it possible that it is a Gaint Salmonfly?.
I have pics on my phone but not of the best quality, and the shucks are damaged from the trip back so I didn't post them. any help is appreciated.
Cheers.
I was on a new river today not fishing just scouting and exploring with a friend. Anyhow I was looking for trout forage along the bank on this gem of a river section. I found a large group of stonefly shucks, mostly golden/ yellow SF's but I then found this Huge Green Stonefly shuck.( thought it could be a Dragonfly but wasn't sure.)
I brought it home to i.d. because I don't have a camara just a phone cam. searching Troutnut I think I identified it as a Gaint Salmonfly.
My question is, anyone here familiar with Northern Ontario aquatic insects
and is it possible that it is a Gaint Salmonfly?.
I have pics on my phone but not of the best quality, and the shucks are damaged from the trip back so I didn't post them. any help is appreciated.
Cheers.
"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves"
Taxon on Jul 9, 2012July 9th, 2012, 4:19 am EDT
Snowsquatch-
NatureServExplorer lists both Pteronarcys dorsata (American Salmonfly) and Pteronarcys proteus (Appalachian Salmonfly) as being present in Ontario.
NatureServExplorer lists both Pteronarcys dorsata (American Salmonfly) and Pteronarcys proteus (Appalachian Salmonfly) as being present in Ontario.
Snowsquatch on Jul 9, 2012July 9th, 2012, 11:19 am EDT
Thank you Taxon for informing me of NatureServ site.
"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves"
Sayfu
Posts: 560
Posts: 560
Sayfu on Aug 8, 2012August 8th, 2012, 8:16 am EDT
Not a true bug nut, but...I would think the big Salmonfly, and the golden, are not that much apart in size. Although you could be on each end of the size range of both.
Entoman on Sep 4, 2012September 4th, 2012, 6:39 pm EDT
Hi Sayfu -
I suspect that may be true in some watersheds where as you said extremes in size range may meet. This could be especially confusing when comparing different genders or development years. However, I've collected some pretty big mature Pteronarcys female nymphs from the Deschutes, Madison, and even Hat Creek over the years. Some of them reach almost 50mm with abdomens bigger around than a pencil! In terms of mass, I've never seen a Golden anywhere near their size. Though the Golden females can approach 40mm (interesting note: I've usually found these big ones in streams where Pteronarcys is lacking), they are much less corpulent, especially when viewed from the side. The males are substantially smaller than the females in both families. I assume these comparisons hold for the eastern species as well?
I suspect that may be true in some watersheds where as you said extremes in size range may meet. This could be especially confusing when comparing different genders or development years. However, I've collected some pretty big mature Pteronarcys female nymphs from the Deschutes, Madison, and even Hat Creek over the years. Some of them reach almost 50mm with abdomens bigger around than a pencil! In terms of mass, I've never seen a Golden anywhere near their size. Though the Golden females can approach 40mm (interesting note: I've usually found these big ones in streams where Pteronarcys is lacking), they are much less corpulent, especially when viewed from the side. The males are substantially smaller than the females in both families. I assume these comparisons hold for the eastern species as well?
"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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