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Mayfly Family Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons)

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Taxonomic Navigation -?-

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

» Class Insecta (Insects)

» Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)

» Family Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons)

Genus in Heptageniidae
CinygmaWestern Light Cahills	0	0
CinygmulaDark Red Quills	0	0
EcdyonurusWestern Ginger Quills	0	0
EpeorusLittle Maryatts	0	9
Heptagenia	0	0
Ironodes	0	0
Leucrocuta	0	0
MaccaffertiumMarch Browns and Cahills	0	1
Nixe	0	0
Rhithrogena	0	0
StenacronLight Cahills	0	0
Stenonema	0	0

4 genera aren't included.

Common Name

Match	Common Name
	March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons

Pictures Below ↓

This is page 18 of specimens of Heptageniidae. Visit the main Heptageniidae page for:

The behavior and habitat of Heptageniidae.
11 underwater pictures of Heptageniidae.

Pictures of 215 Mayfly Specimens in the Family Heptageniidae:

Specimen Page:1...171819...23

Male Epeorus albertae (Pink Lady) Mayfly Spinner

View 12 PicturesThis spinner appeared inside our car after a rest stop overlooking the Snake, so that's most likely where it came from. Two different keys place it firmly in Epeorus albertae.

Collected August 23, 2020 from the Snake River in Idaho
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on September 18, 2020

Female Maccaffertium (March Browns and Cahills) Mayfly Dun

View 5 Pictures

Collected June 8, 2005 from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 26, 2006

Female Rhithrogena undulata (Small Western Red Quill) Mayfly Spinner

View 5 PicturesThis one was collected at the same time as this male and is likely the same species.

Collected July 1, 2019 from the Madison River in Montana
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 17, 2019

Male Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Spinner

View 3 Pictures

Collected May 28, 2004 from unknown in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on January 25, 2006

Cinygmula (Dark Red Quills) Mayfly Nymph

View 9 Pictures

Collected July 17, 2011 from the Gulkana River in Alaska
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 20, 2011

Female Rhithrogena hageni (Western Black Quill) Mayfly Dun

View 7 PicturesI was surprised by the olive cast on the body of this female Rhithrogena dun, which led me to mistake it for a western green drake (Drunella) in the field. I was pleasantly surprised to get a closer look and find something I hadn't collected yet. Its species ID is based on proximity to male spinner collected on the same trip, as well as physical similarity (size, tergite (

One tergite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.

Tergite: The top (dorsal) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen when it consists of a single chitinous plate (sclerite), or an individual sclerite if the segment has more than one.) coloration, dark streaks on the femora (

The femur of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.

Femur: The main segment of an insect's leg close to the body, in between the tibia and the trochanter.)) to that specimen.

Collected July 4, 2020 from Mystery Creek #249 in Washington
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 12, 2020

Epeorus (Little Maryatts) Mayfly Nymph

View 3 Pictures

Collected April 24, 2007 from Factory Brook in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on April 24, 2007

Female Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly Spinner

View 3 PicturesI collected this one as a dun, and she molted into a spinner in my room.

Collected May 26, 2004 from unknown in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on January 25, 2006

Male Cinygmula ramaleyi (Small Western Gordon Quill) Mayfly Spinner

View 10 Pictures

Collected August 3, 2020 from Star Hope Creek in Idaho
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on August 19, 2020

Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Dun

View 4 Pictures

Collected June 5, 2005 from the Teal River in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 24, 2006

Specimen Page:1...171819...23

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.

The femur of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.

Femora: The main segment of an insect's leg close to the body, in between the tibia and the trochanter.

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.

One tergite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.

Tergite: The top (dorsal) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen when it consists of a single chitinous plate (sclerite), or an individual sclerite if the segment has more than one.

Useful References:

Arbona, Fred Jr. 1989. Mayflies, the Angler, and the Trout. Nick Lyons Books.