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.
This wild-looking little thing completely puzzled me. At first I was thinking beetle or month larva, until I got a look at the pictures on the computer screen. I made a couple of incorrect guesses before entomologist Greg Courtney pointed me in the right direction with Psychodidae. He suggested a possible genus of Thornburghiella, but could not rule out some other members of the tribe Pericomini.
Millcreek on Feb 24, 2015February 24th, 2015, 5:48 am EST
These are relatively common in Mill Creek, a tributary of the Russian River.
They're found in pools on the side and top of rocks. They use a net to capture diatoms and algae. The net sits flat on the rock usually over a small declivity.
When ready to pupate, the larva leaves the net and finds a large rock, spins a covering of silk and sand and begins pupation. Pupae are usually found on the top or side of a rock.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
Creno on Feb 24, 2015February 24th, 2015, 8:30 am EST
Nice pics - especially pupal stuff - can you get a close up of the head showing the structure (bump) between the antennae? Does that hang over the front of the head like a ball-cap brim?
Millcreek on Feb 24, 2015February 24th, 2015, 9:45 am EST
Kind of pressed for time right now. Will try to get pics of the head later.
Did take a look under the microscope and it does to appear hang over the front of the head.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein