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Mayfly Species Ephemerella aurivillii

Pictures Below
I have found nothing about this species in the writing of anglers, but the scientific literature shows it to be the most widespread species in the Ephemerella genus, and the only one that spans more than one continent. It may have gone unnoticed for so long because it might not produce thick hatches, and the sporadic individuals could easily be mistaken for Hendricksons.  

Where & When


Regions: East, Midwest, West

Time Of Year (?): Mid-June to early August

This species was first described in Europe, and has also been found in Asia and North America. I have collected them in Alaska and New York, and probably Wisconsin, although the ID on the Wisconsin specimens is less certain.

I found ready-to-hatch, definitive Ephemerella aurivillii nymphs near Fairbanks, Alaska, in mid-July. However, because this species is found across such a large geographic range, the emergence timing probably varies widely. They may go unnoticed in the East due to overlaps in timing with more abundant Ephemerella species.


Pictures of 21 Mayfly Specimens in the Species Ephemerella aurivillii:

Specimen Page:123
Male Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly SpinnerMale Ephemerella aurivillii  Mayfly Spinner View 15 PicturesThis spinner molted from a dun after being photographed, and the dun form is listed here as a separate specimen. I've rarely found a more cooperative and photogenic mayfly.
Collected July 10, 2011 from Nome Creek in Alaska
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 16, 2011
Male Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly DunMale Ephemerella aurivillii  Mayfly Dun View 14 PicturesThis is the most widespread species of Ephemerella, and also the most abundant in some places, but nobody I've talked to seemed to know what its duns looked like, and there were no pictures of its duns online or in any angling books. That mystery is solved with this male dun, which hatched from a definitively identified nymph.
Collected July 10, 2011 from Nome Creek in Alaska
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 12, 2011
Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly NymphEphemerella aurivillii  Mayfly Nymph View 5 PicturesClose examination under a microscope showed definite small tubercles (
A few (not all) of the abdominal tubercles on this Ephemerella needhami nymph are circled.  They are especially large in this species.
A few (not all) of the abdominal tubercles on this Ephemerella needhami nymph are circled. They are especially large in this species.
Tubercle: Various peculiar little bumps or projections on an insect. Their character is important for the identification of many kinds of insects, such as the nymphs of Ephemerellidae mayflies.
)
on the back of this nymph.
Collected February 5, 2004 from unknown in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on January 25, 2006
Specimen Page:123

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