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Pale Sulphur Duns

Scientific Names

Like most common names, "Pale Sulphur Dun" can refer to more than one taxon. They're previewed below, along with 8 specimens. For more detail click through to the scientific names.

Mayfly Species Maccaffertium ithaca

These are sometimes called Pale Sulphur Duns.

Mayfly Species Ephemerella dorothea

These are very rarely called Pale Sulphur Duns.
This is one of the most challenging mayfly hatches on waters across the country.

Ephemerella dorothea consists of two distinct subspecies (Subspecies: Entomologists sometimes further divide a species into distinct groups called subspecies, which have two lower-case words on the end of their scientific name instead of one. The latter is the sub-species name. For example, Maccaffertium mexicanum mexicanum and Maccaffertium mexicanum integrum are two different subspecies of Maccaffertium mexicanum.) which both produce excellent action. Ephemerella dorothea dorothea is a small species of Sulphur in the East, and Ephemerella dorothea infrequens (formerly Ephemerella infrequens) is one of the two main Pale Morning Dun hatches of the West.
Ephemerella dorothea (Sulphur) Mayfly NymphEphemerella dorothea (Sulphur) Mayfly NymphView 6 PicturesI keyed this nymph carefully under a microscope to check that it's Ephemerella dorothea.
Region: Poconos
Collected May 29, 2007
Added Jun 4, 2007
Male Ephemerella dorothea (Sulphur) Mayfly DunMale Ephemerella dorothea (Sulphur) Mayfly DunView 5 Pictures
Region: Poconos
Collected May 27, 2007
Added Jun 4, 2007

Mayfly Species Ephemera varia

These are very rarely called Pale Sulphur Duns.
This is an excellent hatch of a different character than its Ephemera brethren. Rather than emerging in a flurry of activity within a week, the Ephemera varia flies may last for more than a month in a single place.
Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly NymphEphemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly NymphView 4 Pictures
Region: Northeast
Collected Mar 29, 2006
Added Apr 6, 2006
Female Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly DunFemale Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly DunView 7 PicturesThis yellow drake dun hatched out of my aquarium over a month before her brethren in the wild are slated to emerge. She seems a bit small, and that might be the reason.
Region: Northeast
Collected May 13, 2007
Added May 18, 2007
Female Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly SpinnerFemale Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly SpinnerView 6 PicturesI found this female spinner ovipositing in a small stream. She came along while I was playing a trout -- every good bug seemed to do that last night! I didn't have my bug net, so I caught the trout in my landing net, released the trout, and caught the mayfly in my landing net. Her wing got a bit messed up from that.
Region: Northeast
Collected Jul 7, 2006
Added Jul 8, 2006

Mayfly Species Epeorus vitreus

These are very rarely called Pale Sulphur Duns.
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 NymphEpeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly NymphView 6 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Feb 7, 2004
Added Jan 25, 2006
Female Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly DunFemale Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly DunView 6 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected May 28, 2005
Added May 24, 2006
Female Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly SpinnerFemale Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly SpinnerView 9 Pictures
Region: Northeast
Collected Sep 19, 2006
Added Oct 4, 2006
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