Common Names of Trout Stream Insects

Common names are much more confusing than Latin names, because there are usually many names for each bug and many bugs for each name. People like them anyway. Most of these names are better for talking about body colors (like Sulphur) or fly patterns (like Adams) than for discussing actual insect species.

AdamsAlderflyAmerican Blue DunAmerican Brown DunAmerican GrannomAmerican Green DrakeAmerican March BrownAmerican SalmonflyAngler's CurseAntApple CaddisArmored MayflyAutumn Green DrakeAutumn Mottled SedgeBackswimmerBatflyBeautiful StoneflyBeaverkillBeetleBig Golden StoneBig Slate DrakeBig Yellow MayBlack and Olive DunBlack and White SpinnerBlack DancerBlack DrakeBlack FlyBlack GnatBlack QuillBlack Wing Long-Horned SedgeBlue DunBlue QuillBlue Quill SpinnerBlue-Winged DunBlue-Winged OliveBlue-Winged Olive UprightBlue-Winged Red QuillBlue-Winged Rusty DunBooger SulphurBorcher DrakeBoreal StoneflyBoreal WillowflyBrown and Green CaddisBrown BivisibleBrown Checkered Summer SedgeBrown Dot SedgeBrown DrakeBrown DunBrown Quill SpinnerBWOCaddisflyCahillCarolina StoneflyChocolate and Cream SedgeChocolate DunChocolate SpinnerCicadaCinnamon SedgeCoffin FlyColorado SallflyCommon SnowflyCrane FlyCrayfishCream and Brown MicrocaddisCream and Brown Mottled MicrocaddisCream CahillCream Cahill SpinnerCream DunCream MayCream VariantCress BugCricketDamselflyDark Blue QuillDark Blue SedgeDark Blue-Winged OliveDark Brown DunDark Brown SpinnerDark CahillDark Eastern Woodland SedgeDark Gordon QuillDark GrannomDark Gray-Winged Olive DunDark Green DrakeDark HendricksonDark Olive Brown SpinnerDark Olive DunDark Olive SpinnerDark Red QuillDark Rusty SpinnerDark ShadflyDark Slate-Winged OliveDark Speckled-Wing QuillDark Tan SpinnerDarth VaderDelicate SallflyDinky Light Summer SedgeDinky Purple Breasted SedgeDobsonflyDot Wing Winter SedgeDragonflyDrakeflyDun VariantEarly Black QuillEarly Black StoneflyEarly Brown QuillEarly Brown SpinnerEarly Brown StoneflyEarly Smoky Wing SedgeEarly Western Mottled SedgeEarthwormEastern Box Wing SedgeEastern Brown DrakeEastern Green DrakeEastern Pale Evening DunEbony SalmonflyElectric Light BugEmbossed StoneflyEvening DunFall CaddisFishflyFlavFreckled StoneflyGarden HackleGiant Cream Pattern-Wing SedgeGiant Eastern Crane FlyGiant Michigan MayflyGiant Orange SedgeGiant Rusty SedgeGiant SalmonflyGiant Water BugGiant Water Scavenger BeetleGinger QuillGinger Quill SpinnerGlossy Wing SedgeGolden DrakeGolden DunGolden SpinnerGolden StoneGordon QuillGrannom

GrasshopperGray Checkered SedgeGray DrakeGray FoxGray QuillGray-Winged Blue DunGray-Winged Brown QuillGray-Winged Olive QuillGray-Winged Sulphur DunGray-Winged Yellow QuillGreat Autumn Brown SedgeGreat Blue-Winged Red QuillGreat Brown SpinnerGreat Dark Green DrakeGreat Eastern SulphurGreat Gray Spotted SedgeGreat Lakes SpringflyGreat Late-Summer SedgeGreat Lead-Wing Olive DrakeGreat Lead-Winged CoachmanGreat Lead-Winged DrakeGreat Olive-Winged DrakeGreat Olive-Winged SpinnerGreat Red QuillGreat Red SpinnerGreat Speckled Olive DunGreat Speckled SpinnerGreat Western LeadwingGreen DrakeGreen MayGreen RockwormGreen SedgeGreen WeevilGreen WormHellgrammiteHendricksonHexHumpbacked NymphInchwormIron Blue DunIron Blue QuillIron DunJassidJenny SpinnerKinni SulphurKnobbed SalmonflyLady BeaverkillLake FlyLarge Blue-Winged OliveLarge Dark HendricksonLarge Mahogany DunLarge Rush SedgeLarge Slate-Winged Mahogany DunLate HexLead-Winged OliveLeadwingLeadwing CoachmanLeadwing Olive DunLeafhopperLeechLesser Green DrakeLight Blue DunLight CahillLight Cahill SpinnerLight GrannomLight HendricksonLight Rusty SpinnerLight ShadflyLimoniid Crane FlyLittle Autumn SedgeLittle Autumn Stream SedgeLittle Black CaddisLittle Black SedgeLittle Black Short-Horned SedgeLittle Blue DunLittle Blue MayflyLittle Blue-Winged OliveLittle Brown QuillLittle Brown SedgeLittle Brown-Green SedgeLittle Dark HendricksonLittle GrannomLittle Gray SedgeLittle Green StoneflyLittle Iron Blue QuillLittle MaryattLittle OliveLittle Olive SedgeLittle Plain Brown SedgeLittle Red Twilight SedgeLittle Sister SedgeLittle Slate-Winged Brown QuillLittle Slate-Winged DunLittle Slate-Winged Olive QuillLittle Sulphury DunLittle Western Blue-Winged OliveLittle Western Dark SedgeLittle Western Iron-Blue QuillLittle Western Weedy-Water SedgeLittle White MayflyLittle White SpinnerLittle Yellow QuillLittle Yellow StoneflyLong Horn SedgeMahogany DrakeMahogany DunMarch BrownMaroon DrakeMayflyMedium Evening SedgeMedium GrannomMedium Olive DunMichigan CaddisMichigan SpinnerMichigan WigglerMicrocaddisMidgeMiniature Blue-Winged OliveMiniature Eastern SulphurMinnowMiteMothMother's Day CaddisMottled WillowflyNeedle FlyNet-Veined MidgeNo-Name MayflyNorthern CaddisflyNorthern StoneflyOctober CaddisOhio SallflyOlive DunOlive QuillOlive Quill SpinnerOlive SpringflyOzark SallflyPale Afternoon DunPale Brown DunPale Evening DunPale Evening SpinnerPale Gray-Winged Sulphur Dun

Pale Morning DunPale Morning SpinnerPale Olive DunPale Sulphur DunPale Watery DunPale Western Stream SedgePale White-Winged Watery DunParalepPediciid Crane FlyPenn's Creek CaddisflyPhantom Crane FlyPink CahillPink LadyPlain Brown Scaly-Wing SedgePlain Red-Brown Long-Horned SedgePseudo-Gray DrakePseudo-MicrocaddisQuill GordonRed QuillRed Quill SpinnerRing Horn MicrocaddisRoachflyRush SedgeRusty SpinnerSalamanderSallflySalmon SpinnerSalmonflySalt and Pepper MicrocaddisSand DrakeSandflyScaly-Wing SedgeScudSculpinShad FlyShaddieShortwing StoneflySilver Striped SedgeSlap-in-the-Face CaddisSlate Brown DunSlate Cream DunSlate DrakeSlate Gray DunSlate Maroon DrakeSlate-Winged Brown QuillSlate-Winged Mahogany DunSlate-Winged OliveSlender SnowflySmall Blue-Winged OliveSmall Dot-Wing SedgeSmall Eastern Blue-Winged OliveSmall Gordon QuillSmall Gray-Winged Yellow QuillSmall Western Dark HendricksonSmall Western Ginger QuillSmall Western Gordon QuillSmall Western Green DrakeSmall Western Red QuillSnailSnipe FlySnow SedgeSnowflake MayflySnowflySowbugSpeckle-WingSpeckled DunSpeckled PeterSpeckled-Winged DunSpeckled-Winged QuillSpeckled-Winged SpinnerSpiderSpotted SedgeSticklebackStoneflyStriped GrannomSulphurSummer Flier SedgeTan Spotted-Wing Long-Horned SedgeTiny Black CaddisTiny Black Gold Speckled-Winged CaddisTiny Blue-Winged OliveTiny Dun VariantTiny Sulphur DunTiny Western OliveTiny White-Winged BlackTiny White-Winged CurseTiny Winter BlackToebiterTransverse StripetailTraveller SedgeTreehopperTricoTrue BugTrue FlyTwo-lined StripetailVaricolored MicrocaddisWater BoatmanWater PennyWater ScorpionWatersnipe FlyWeevilWestern Black QuillWestern Ginger QuillWestern Gordon QuillWestern Gray DrakeWestern Green DrakeWestern Light CahillWestern March BrownWestern OliveWestern Pale Morning DunWestern Pink QuillWestern Quill GordonWestern Red QuillWestern SallflyWestern Slate OliveWestern Slate Olive DunWestern Small Dark HendricksonWestern StoneflyWhirling DunWhite DrakeWhite DunWhite FlyWhite MillerWhite-Gloved HowdyWhite-Winged BlackWhite-Winged CurseWhite-Winged SulphurWillowflyWindow Wing SedgeWormYellow DrakeYellow DunYellow MayYellow QuillYellow SallflyYellow SallyYellow SedgeZebra Caddis

This list (like the rest of the site) focuses on American insects, so species from Britain, New Zealand, and elsewhere aren't included.

Copyright © 2010 Jason Neuswanger (email Jason). See my FAQ for information about use of my images.
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