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.
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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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Martinlf on Mar 31, 2018March 31st, 2018, 10:17 am EDT
Perhaps it is best to stick to fly fishing. It certainly keeps the blood pressure down. And we may have to agree to talk about other things if a discussion of politics gets unpleasant. However, I have several good fly fishing buddies who are Trump supporters, and as frustrated as I get by what I consider their uninformed hero worship of a scumbag, I think it's done me (and perhaps them) good to engage with them from time to time, and to have to remember that their friendship is more important than anything else. As irritated and disappointed as I sometimes am, and as tempted as I get at times to just write one or more of them off, I believe it would be a failure of my humanity to do so. And a failure of my belief that we are all entitled to our opinions. Ultimately I believe that I must try to hear them out--and bring facts to bear when I believe lies are being believed and spread. Trump is a proven liar, so this becomes even more difficult when he's worshiped like an untouchable god, and his ideas from his tweets are circulated like scripture. So, this post, full of Trump bashing, is also meant as an embrace of my fishing buddies with whom I differ and an affirmation of our common humanity and love of the sport.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Adirman on Mar 31, 2018March 31st, 2018, 10:22 am EDT
How about we just stick to fly fishing 😉
Martinlf on Mar 31, 2018March 31st, 2018, 10:33 am EDT
Works for me. All best wishes.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Partsman on Mar 31, 2018March 31st, 2018, 12:11 pm EDT
wow, yea Trump might be scumbag, but what do call bill and Hillary?
Martinlf on Mar 31, 2018March 31st, 2018, 4:27 pm EDT
Irrelevant.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
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