Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata
The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.
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Some characteristics from the microscope images for the tentative species id: The postero-lateral projections are found only on segment 9, not segment 8. Based on the key in Jacobus et al. (2014), it appears to key to Neoleptophlebia adoptiva or Neoleptophlebia heteronea, same as this specimen with pretty different abdominal markings. However, distinguishing between those calls for comparing the lengths of the second and third segment of the labial palp, and this one (like the other one) only seems to have two segments. So I'm stuck on them both. It's likely that the fact that they're immature nymphs stymies identification in some important way.
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These big caddisflies were tempting trout as they wriggled out of their shucks, while others skated across the water at a medium pace, probably egg-laying.
Litobrancha on May 19, 2007May 19th, 2007, 6:41 pm EDT
jason can you take some better pictures of the genital terminalia? especially the tenth tergite and spines above the inferior appendages? nice specimen.