Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana

Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Two major forks of this grayling stream come together in this pretty pool.

From the Chena River in Alaska

Stream photos

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Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.

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27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.

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not an aquatic but........

JOHNW has attached this picture to aid in identification. The message is below.

JOHNW

Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452

JOHNW on Aug 2, 2014August 2nd, 2014, 4:01 pm EDT

ID for this guy as well as control suggestions as they are eating my oak tree.

"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn

Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344

Millcreek on Aug 2, 2014August 2nd, 2014, 4:27 pm EDT

John - Might be an Orange-striped Oakworm, not really a worm despite the common name. Here's a link with the latin name and a good photo.

http://www.pbase.com/image/137368768.

And another link http://bugguide.net/node/view/694262/bgimage.

Mark

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein

Martinlf

Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047

Martinlf on Aug 3, 2014August 3rd, 2014, 9:24 am EDT

John, as far as I know bacillus thuringiensis is one of the best controls for caterpillars. It's a targeted biological control, and thus less of a risk for many other creatures.

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"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

JOHNW

Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452

JOHNW on Aug 4, 2014August 4th, 2014, 6:10 pm EDT

Thanks for the info guys. My boys have come up with a great control method as well. They pull the caterpillars off the tree gathering as many as they can and then feed the neighbors laying hens. No pesticides or chemicals needed (although the "worms" do not like Sevin.

"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn