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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PaulRoberts on Jan 4, 2014January 4th, 2014, 2:33 pm EST
A small monsoon forest stream in the Philippines looks familiar.
This looked like a willow but I passed it off (didn't look close) as a convergent. But, it turns out that there are some willows here.
Turn over cobbles and it still looks familiar!:
A Heptageniid
Rhyacophila
Neophylax(?)
Perlid
This looked like a willow but I passed it off (didn't look close) as a convergent. But, it turns out that there are some willows here.
Turn over cobbles and it still looks familiar!:
A Heptageniid
Rhyacophila
Neophylax(?)
Perlid
Creno on Jan 4, 2014January 4th, 2014, 7:12 pm EST
If that is Neophylax I suspect you have a real sweet one :-) I don't know Philippine caddis at all but Neophylax south of Japan would be a scoop! More likely goerid.
PaulRoberts on Jan 6, 2014January 6th, 2014, 6:18 pm EST
I dunno who it is. The ballast stones made me think Neophylax. But I see Goera also has them.
I now wonder if Neophylax' summer aestivation I observed in NY is an adaptation to being at the southern end of a northerly distribution? These Philippine guys were out and about. It is "winter" here, so to speak.
I now wonder if Neophylax' summer aestivation I observed in NY is an adaptation to being at the southern end of a northerly distribution? These Philippine guys were out and about. It is "winter" here, so to speak.
Crepuscular on Jan 7, 2014January 7th, 2014, 3:02 am EST
Nice Paul, thanks for posting. Looks like you have found some more "comfortable" waters to explore. Have you come across any cool beetles or Hemipterans yet?
Feathers5
Posts: 287
Posts: 287
Feathers5 on Jan 7, 2014January 7th, 2014, 4:47 am EST
I haven't seen any Hemipterans where I live, but my mother is an octogenarian and my dad was a Legionaire.
Crepuscular on Jan 7, 2014January 7th, 2014, 7:52 am EST
I haven't seen any Hemipterans where I live, but my mother is an octogenarian and my dad was a Legionaire.
Is your name Paul?
Lastchance on Jan 7, 2014January 7th, 2014, 1:09 pm EST
I haven't seen any Hemipterans where I live, but my mother is an octogenarian and my dad was a Legionaire.
Is your name Paul?
Sometimes I'm really not sure. Sorry, Paul!
Lastchance on Jan 7, 2014January 7th, 2014, 1:11 pm EST
Very nice photos, Paul.
Hey, did you fish?
Hey, did you fish?
PaulRoberts on Jan 7, 2014January 7th, 2014, 4:02 pm EST
Ha! Thanks for that, Bruce, or whatever you go by now. Hey…my Dad just became on Octo, and my Mom … was a Legionaire. OK I'm spooked now.
Yes Eric! As cool as they are I wasn't going to post em as I'm already pushing the limits here. But since you asked...
Nothing for scale here but this guy was big and heavy! Apparently, local kids tie a thread to them and fly them around. They sound like RC helicopters.
These guys reminded me of a face card from a playing card deck. They were everywhere on the forest floor. Only thing more abundant was their exuviae.
I photo’d this recently molted guy too. Looks like either an adult (wing pads) or a different species from the “face card”. There was another pigmented one, an all rusty one I didn’t photo.
We also caught this guy:
And found that there are ant lions here too. When my son drops ants in to watch, I always warn him about boy-eating pit monsters.
And then we found one!
No. There were fish rising in the evening in a deep flat pool though. But all my small-stream FF gear is back home in storage. I had packed some heavier gear for the sea and brackish but didn't expect to be fishing small streams. My son and I did catch some tiny fish by hand that looked like mosquitofish (Gambusia) but probably weren’t. Gambusia is invasive here in some parts of the islands though.
Oh .. I added a photo to the OP.
Have you come across any cool beetles or Hemipterans yet?
Yes Eric! As cool as they are I wasn't going to post em as I'm already pushing the limits here. But since you asked...
Nothing for scale here but this guy was big and heavy! Apparently, local kids tie a thread to them and fly them around. They sound like RC helicopters.
These guys reminded me of a face card from a playing card deck. They were everywhere on the forest floor. Only thing more abundant was their exuviae.
I photo’d this recently molted guy too. Looks like either an adult (wing pads) or a different species from the “face card”. There was another pigmented one, an all rusty one I didn’t photo.
We also caught this guy:
And found that there are ant lions here too. When my son drops ants in to watch, I always warn him about boy-eating pit monsters.
And then we found one!
Hey, did you fish?
No. There were fish rising in the evening in a deep flat pool though. But all my small-stream FF gear is back home in storage. I had packed some heavier gear for the sea and brackish but didn't expect to be fishing small streams. My son and I did catch some tiny fish by hand that looked like mosquitofish (Gambusia) but probably weren’t. Gambusia is invasive here in some parts of the islands though.
Oh .. I added a photo to the OP.
Crepuscular on Jan 7, 2014January 7th, 2014, 5:08 pm EST
Cool Rhinoceros beetle! Very interesting hemipteran too. I know they have some interesting weevils there too. Man, I'd be like a kid in a candy store there...thanks for posting!
Oldredbarn on Jan 10, 2014January 10th, 2014, 10:50 am EST
Apparently, local kids tie a thread to them and fly them around. They sound like RC helicopters.
Paul...We used to do that to June bugs when I lived down in Norfolk VA as a kid.
Great pics! Looks like you are settling in there some.
I haven't seen any Hemipterans where I live, but my mother is an octogenarian and my dad was a Legionaire.
Eric...What we going to do with this guy? I'd suggest tossing him into the drink, but he's more than capable of doing that on his own! :) I've seen it done.
Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Crepuscular on Jan 11, 2014January 11th, 2014, 2:12 am EST
Eric...What we going to do with this guy? I'd suggest tossing him into the drink, but he's more than capable of doing that on his own! :) I've seen it done.
Spence
I like having someone around who is a bigger smartass than myself. If it gets too bad I can take him out into the grouse woods of Potter County and leave him there and see if he finds his way back. But for now I vote we keep him! ;).
Paul, keep posting those bug pics (any pics really)! I for one, want to see what you find.
Wbranch on Jan 11, 2014January 11th, 2014, 8:44 am EST
Any mango worms there or are they only an African parasite?
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
PaulRoberts on Jan 12, 2014January 12th, 2014, 1:52 pm EST
Will do, Eric. Hope to see more cool stuff. Visited a forest area yesterday and, despite it being the dry season, you couldn't walk very far without seeing something cool. Tough to cover any ground with all the oohing and ahhing. My son however, wants to run (he's 12 and is run by his cerebellum, not unlike a beagle being run by its olfactory bulbs). So, we have to pry our eyes from the ground and run!
Matt, from what I read, no. They are from central African only. We do have a few other things here, but not like exists in Africa and the Amazon. Virtually all our parasitic issues are mosquito born. Dengue is not uncommon during the rainy season, Malaria prevalence varies across the region (we visited one high prevalence, aggressive strain, area a few months ago, taking an anti-malarial antibiotic during). Filariasis is another that we plan to avoid. DEET is the way to go here. Risk vs benefit.
We don't even have as many venemous snakes here as some other tropical regions either. However, I've found only 2 snakes so far. The first was a paradise tree snake which is mildly venemous (not dangerous to humans). I also found a Philippine cobra dead in the road. These have possibly the most deadly venom per volume of any snake in the world. So, we don't leap on snakes like we did back home. Back home I used to quip, "When you dive on a snake and they bite you, well, you got 'em!"
Matt, from what I read, no. They are from central African only. We do have a few other things here, but not like exists in Africa and the Amazon. Virtually all our parasitic issues are mosquito born. Dengue is not uncommon during the rainy season, Malaria prevalence varies across the region (we visited one high prevalence, aggressive strain, area a few months ago, taking an anti-malarial antibiotic during). Filariasis is another that we plan to avoid. DEET is the way to go here. Risk vs benefit.
We don't even have as many venemous snakes here as some other tropical regions either. However, I've found only 2 snakes so far. The first was a paradise tree snake which is mildly venemous (not dangerous to humans). I also found a Philippine cobra dead in the road. These have possibly the most deadly venom per volume of any snake in the world. So, we don't leap on snakes like we did back home. Back home I used to quip, "When you dive on a snake and they bite you, well, you got 'em!"
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