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Dark Gordon Quills

Scientific Name
MatchScientific Name
*Epeorus pleuralis


This common name refers to only one species.

Mayfly Species Epeorus pleuralis

These are very rarely called Dark Gordon Quills.
This is the first really good dry-fly opportunity of the season for most Eastern anglers. They are large mayflies and they have good points of vulnerability both underwater and on the surface.
Epeorus pleuralis (Quill Gordon) Mayfly NymphEpeorus pleuralis (Quill Gordon) Mayfly Nymph View 4 PicturesThis Epeorus pluralis dun is recently deceased in these photos. I decided not to photograph several lively, less mature nymphs. This one was ready to hatch, as indicated by the black wing pads (
The wing pads on this final instar Baetidae mayfly nymph are extremely dark.
The wing pads on this final instar Baetidae mayfly nymph are extremely dark.
Wing pad: A protrusion from the thorax of an insect nymph which holds the developing wings. Black wing pads usually indicate that the nymph is nearly ready to emerge into an adult.
)
. I believe it had not been dead long enough to lose its natural coloration.
Collected April 19, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 21, 2006
Male Epeorus pleuralis (Quill Gordon) Mayfly DunMale Epeorus pleuralis (Quill Gordon) Mayfly Dun View 9 PicturesI kept this specimen after photographing it and it molted into a spinner in perfect condition, which I photographed here.
Collected April 30, 2007 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 3, 2007
Male Epeorus pleuralis (Quill Gordon) Mayfly SpinnerMale Epeorus pleuralis (Quill Gordon) Mayfly Spinner View 10 PicturesI spent (Spent: The wing position of many aquatic insects when they fall on the water after mating. The wings of both sides lay flat on the water. The word may be used to describe insects with their wings in that position, as well as the position itself.) most of the day looking for Epeorus pluralis duns or spinners without any luck on the major Catskill rivers. Finally in the evening I arrived at a small stream somebody had recommended, and when I got out of the car I was happy to find that I had parked in the middle of a cloud of male spinners.
Collected April 19, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 22, 2006
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