Updates from June 7, 2007

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York

Female Helopicus subvarians (Springfly) Stonefly Adult

View 11 PicturesI caught this female during her egg-laying flight.

Collected June 7, 2007 from the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 8, 2007

Female Rhithrogena Mayfly Spinner

View 9 PicturesI'm very tentatively (see the connected forum thread) sticking this mayfly in Rhithrogena for now.

Collected June 7, 2007 from the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 8, 2007

Female Maccaffertium terminatum Mayfly Spinner

View 5 PicturesI was able to identify this female because I captured her while she was mating with an identifiable male.

Collected June 7, 2007 from the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 8, 2007

Male Maccaffertium terminatum Mayfly Spinner

View 11 PicturesI positively identified this specimen under a microscope with a good key. It was one of the more common species in a generally light mixed bag of mayflies over a big Catskill tailwater last night.

I swooped this one out of the air while it was mating with a female, so I can be certain about her ID as well.

Collected June 7, 2007 from the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 8, 2007

Male Maccaffertium ithaca (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun

View 6 PicturesBased on the identical size, shape, and relative proportions of different body parts, I'm pretty sure this dun is of the same species as two spinners I collected at about the same time. The color is dramatically different, but that's to be expected with many of these species in the transition from dun to spinner.

Collected June 7, 2007 from the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 8, 2007

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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.

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.