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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.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
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.
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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CenCaAngler has attached these 2 pictures to aid in identification. The message is below.
?
Some sort of Caddis larva? Any help would
Be appreciated.
CenCaAngler
Fresno, CA, USA

Posts: 3
CenCaAngler on Jul 24, 2015July 24th, 2015, 7:31 am EDT
What kind of caddis adults /larvae are these?
Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344
Millcreek on Jul 24, 2015July 24th, 2015, 9:43 am EDT
Johnny -

I don't have any idea what your adult caddis is but the larvae look like they could be early instar Dicosmoecus gilvipes. Here are some photos.

http://aquaticinsectsofcentralvirginia.blogspot.com/2014/05/fooled-by-case-theyre-immature-october.html

http://joycegross.com/images.php?img=2222_1710

Mark
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
Creno
Grants Pass, OR

Posts: 302
Creno on Jul 24, 2015July 24th, 2015, 3:46 pm EDT
Where were these collected - the larvae also look like some of the eastern Pycnopsyche species. Also how large are the larvae? The adult is not a caddis, the antennae are too short for something that size. It is one of the megalotera.
CenCaAngler
Fresno, CA, USA

Posts: 3
CenCaAngler on Jul 25, 2015July 25th, 2015, 1:17 am EDT
The larvae (approx. 1"-2" with dark brown/black heads and what appeared to be lighter, cream-colored abdomens) were collected from submerged boulders along the banks of the river as well as on rocks positioned between the seams of faster and slower moving water. Any more input or helpful advice and information would be/is greatly appreciated.
Creno
Grants Pass, OR

Posts: 302
Creno on Jul 25, 2015July 25th, 2015, 11:09 am EDT
Sorry, poorly worded question on my part. What Country/State/Province were these collected in? If I presume CA from your response on the Megaloptera The middle larvae doesn't look as burly as the other two so if may be a species of Psychoglypha.
Taxon
Taxon's profile picture
Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on Jul 25, 2015July 25th, 2015, 5:52 pm EDT
Dave-

The adult is not a caddis, the antennae are too short for something that size. It is one of the megalotera.




I believe it to be the Giant Lacewing, Polystoechotes punctata.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
CenCaAngler
Fresno, CA, USA

Posts: 3
CenCaAngler on Jul 26, 2015July 26th, 2015, 12:02 am EDT
The larvae were collect on the Middle Fork of the Kings River in central California, specifically in kings Canyon national park.
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Aug 2, 2015August 2nd, 2015, 10:43 am EDT
Great job on the ID, Roger. The lack of mandibles precluded the fishflies and I wasn't figuring lacewings over its size.
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman

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