Gray-Winged Yellow Quills

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Scientific Names

Match	Scientific Name
	Epeorus vitreus
	Leucrocuta hebe

Like most common names, "Gray-Winged Yellow Quill" can refer to more than one taxon. They're previewed below, along with 6 specimens. For more detail click through to the scientific names.

Mayfly Species Epeorus vitreus

These are sometimes called Gray-Winged Yellow Quills.

This is the second most common Epeorus species in the East and Midwest. Most anglers will encounter sporadic hatches of Epeorus vitreus once in a while, and sometimes a more concentrated emergence causes a good rise of fish.

Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly Nymph

View 6 Pictures

Collected February 7, 2004 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on January 25, 2006

Male Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly Dun

View 4 PicturesThis is my favorite mayfly from 2004, and it appears on my popular Be the Trout: Eat Mayflies products. Check them out!

Its identification is really up in the air. It might be a late-season vitreus dun but it may very well be one of the more obscure species in that genus.

Collected September 2, 2004 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on January 25, 2006

Female Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly Spinner

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Collected September 19, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on October 4, 2006

See 12 more specimens...

Mayfly Species Leucrocuta hebe

These are very rarely called Gray-Winged Yellow Quills.

This widespread species produces more fishable hatches in the East and Midwest than any other species in the Heptagenia genus complex.

Leucrocuta hebe (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Nymph

View 4 PicturesThis is a very early instar (Instar: Many invertebrates molt through dozens of progressively larger and better-developed stages as they grow. Each of these stages is known as an instar. Hard-bodied nymphs typically molt through more instars than soft-bodied larvae.).

Collected January 13, 2004 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on January 25, 2006

Female Leucrocuta hebe (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Dun

View 9 PicturesI found this dun on the same piece of stream as a similar spinner, probably of the same species.

Collected September 19, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on October 4, 2006

Female Leucrocuta hebe (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Spinner

View 8 Pictures

Collected September 4, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on October 3, 2006

See 8 more specimens...

Jargon Defined:

Dun: Mayflies have two adult stages. They first emerge from the water as duns (scientifically known as the subimago stage). They then molt into the spinner (imago) stage, in which they mate and die. Sometimes the word "dun" is confusingly used to refer to a brownish gray color in fly tying materials.

Emergence: The transformation of a nymph or pupa into the adult winged stage of an insect. The term may refer to the emergence of an individual, or the daily or yearly event in which all individuals of a species emerge.

Instar: Many invertebrates molt through dozens of progressively larger and better-developed stages as they grow. Each of these stages is known as an instar. Hard-bodied nymphs typically molt through more instars than soft-bodied larvae.

Spinner: There are two winged stages of adult mayflies. They emerge from the water as duns, molt on land (usually) into their fully mature stage, spinners. As spinners, they mate, lay eggs, and die.