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Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
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.

Dorsal view of a Limnephilidae (Giant Sedges) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This specimen resembled several others of around the same size and perhaps the same species, which were pretty common in my February sample from the upper Yakima. Unfortunately, I misplaced the specimen before I could get it under a microscope for a definitive ID.
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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Millcreek has attached these 6 pictures to aid in identification. The message is below.
Larvae are 10 mm. Cases 11 mm.
Larvae are 10 mm. Cases 11 mm.
Larvae are 10 mm.
Larvae are 10 mm. Cases 11 mm.
Larvae are 10 mm.
Larvae are 10 mm.
Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344
Millcreek on Feb 16, 2015February 16th, 2015, 6:22 am EST
This larvae is common to Mill Creek, a tributary of the Russian River. Haven't found it in the river yet, but it's seasonally common in the stream. Keyed it out to genus in Merritt, Cummins and Berg (2008). Curious as to species. Any help would be appreciated.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Feb 16, 2015February 16th, 2015, 1:59 pm EST
Pretty thing.
Gutcutter
Gutcutter's profile picture
Pennsylvania

Posts: 470
Gutcutter on Feb 17, 2015February 17th, 2015, 3:26 am EST
Does anybody know how they make that type of case?
Very cool.
Some amazing engineering.
All men who fish may in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish for trout and those who don't. Trout fishermen are a race apart: they are a dedicated crew- indolent, improvident, and quietly mad.

-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
Taxon
Taxon's profile picture
Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on Feb 17, 2015February 17th, 2015, 6:14 am EST
Hi Tony-

Does anybody know how they make that type of case?


Caddisfly larvae use a mouthpart gland which extrudes silk as a binding agent to build their cases.
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
Creno
Grants Pass, OR

Posts: 302
Creno on Feb 17, 2015February 17th, 2015, 7:43 am EST
Gumaga is a great taxa to initiate a discussion of the species concept. There are numerous publications from the Resh Lab involving Gumaga "species". (http://nature.berkeley.edu/reshlab/) Ya probably should start with Jackson and Resh 1998. (Jackson, John K., Resh, Vincent H. 1998. Morphologically cryptic species confound ecological studies of the caddisfly genus Gumaga (Trichoptera: Sericostomatidae) in northern California. Aquatic Insects 20: 69-84.)

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