Updates from March 21, 2011

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Closeup insects by Entoman from the Lower Yuba River in California

Ephemerella dorothea infrequens (Pale Morning Dun) Mayfly Nymph

View 2 PicturesHabitat: Shallow riffle over cobble; approx. 1 ft. deep
Size: 8.5 mm. Mature specimens have been captured as large as 10.5 mm.
Emergence schedule: Variable - starting as early as mid March and lasting as late as early June, depending on the year. Usual duration is at least several weeks or more.
Dun Association: Body is elusive pale creamy yellow w/ orange highlights, cream legs and tails, and dun wings
Specimen status in photo: Preserved
Collection method: Kick net

Comments: Extremely common in samples taken from this location. It's color in life was very close to as depicted in the photo; except for the gradual darkening of the abdominal segments as they progress posteriorly, which has been accentuated somewhat by the effects of preservation. Adult association is based upon capture of this taxon at various stages of emergence including: darkened wingcases, split thoraxic notums, and partially ecloded or ''stillborn (

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This stillborn Ephemerella subvaria dun is trapped in its shuck.

Stillborn: In fly fishing, a stillborn insect is one which got stuck in its nymphal or pupal shuck during emergence and floats helplessly on the surface instead of flying away. It is a specific class of cripple, although it is sometimes used interchangeably with that term.)'' specimens.

Entoman

Collected March 21, 2011 from the Lower Yuba River in California
Added to Troutnut.com by Entoman on November 1, 2011

Isoperla quinquepunctata (Little Yellow Stonefly) Little Yellow Stonefly Nymph

Isoperla quinquepunctata (Little Yellow Stonefly) Stonefly Nymph

View 2 PicturesSize - (excluding tails) - 10 mm
Status at time of photo - preserved but no discernible color change as specimen was captured only a few days earlier.
Key characters - unique pattern on dorsal (Dorsal: Top.) head and thorax (Thorax: The thorax is the middle part of an insect's body, in between the abdomen and the head, and to which the legs and wings are attached.); dark medial (Medial: Toward the middle of the body.) terga (Tergum: the dorsal part of an abdominal segment or segments (terga). Also used to describe the entire abdominal dorsum or the thoracic dorsal segments of Odonata.) stripe between two paler stripes

This species is very common in west slope north Sierra watersheds. Richard W. Baumann & Boris C. Kondratieff did a study on the same section and at the same time of year (APRIL 25-29, 2010) where this specimen was taken. No other species of Isoperla were reported from this location and quinquepunctata was very abundant. Their hatches can be very heavy some Springs.

Entoman

Collected March 21, 2011 from the Lower Yuba River in California
Added to Troutnut.com by Entoman on November 1, 2011

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Jargon Defined:

Dorsal: Top.

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.

Medial: Toward the middle of the body.

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This stillborn Ephemerella subvaria dun is trapped in its shuck.

Terga: the dorsal part of an abdominal segment or segments (terga). Also used to describe the entire abdominal dorsum or the thoracic dorsal segments of Odonata.

Thorax: The thorax is the middle part of an insect's body, in between the abdomen and the head, and to which the legs and wings are attached.