Mayfly Family Leptophlebiidae (Black Quills and Blue Quills)
Taxonomic Navigation -?-
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
» Class Insecta (Insects)
» Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
» Family Leptophlebiidae (Black Quills and Blue Quills)
| Genus in Leptophlebiidae |  |  |
| LeptophlebiaBlack Quills | 19 | 89 |
| ParaleptophlebiaBlue Quills | 21 | 121 |
8 genera aren't included.
Common Name
| Match | Common Name |
 | Black Quills and Blue Quills |
Leptophlebiidae also contains several genera and species which are never mentioned in fly-fishing literature, either because they are too rare or because they require water too warm for trout.
40 Mayfly Specimens in the Family Leptophlebiidae:
Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills) Mayfly Spinner
View 15 PicturesI wasn't actually fishing the river where I caught this one. I was just scouting, didn't like the look of the water, and as I was walking back to the car this little dun landed on my vest. Why can't they all be so easy to collect?
View 15 PicturesI wasn't actually fishing the river where I caught this one. I was just scouting, didn't like the look of the water, and as I was walking back to the car this little dun landed on my vest. Why can't they all be so easy to collect?Region: Catskills
Collected Sep 8, 2006
Added Oct 4, 2006
Leptophlebia cupida (Black Quill) Mayfly Dun
View 6 PicturesThis Leptophlebia cupida dun was extremely cooperative, and it molted into a spinner for me in front of the camera. Here I have a few dun pictures and one spinner picture, and I've put the entire molting sequence in an article.
View 6 PicturesThis Leptophlebia cupida dun was extremely cooperative, and it molted into a spinner for me in front of the camera. Here I have a few dun pictures and one spinner picture, and I've put the entire molting sequence in an article.Region: Upper Midwest
Collected May 27, 2005
Added May 16, 2006
Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) Mayfly Dun
View 14 Pictures
View 14 PicturesRegion: Northeast
Collected Apr 30, 2007
Added May 3, 2007
2 Streamside Pictures of Leptophlebiidae Mayflies:
View Full Size
I found this little Paraleptophlebia dun along a Catskill stream, but not enough of her brethren were emerging to get the early-season trout to rise.
In this picture: Mayfly Genus Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills).
In this picture: Mayfly Genus Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills).
After I took this photo, this specimen was swept out of this tiny pool into a riffle downstream, where I swooped it up with my aquarium net and brought it home to photograph. See it up close here.
In this picture: Mayfly Species Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill).
In this picture: Mayfly Species Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill).
Recent Discussions of Leptophlebiidae
Lepto question 1 Reply »
I live in Arizona and I have a question...
Over the past several years I have witnessed a spectacular emergence of mayflies on a stream I frequent in the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona. The stream is a tributary to the Little Colorado River drainage.
The adults seem to emerge on exposed midstream rocks of along the shoreline. The duns can be very dense, sometimes every rock along shore has one drying its wings beforetaking flight They are a dark greyish brown bodied, dark grey winged adult, I have named them MOCHA DUNS for lack of knowledge of their true identity. Three tails on the adult as well. They are pretty big....a big size 14 to 16. I have captured several specimens as larvae that I believe are the same species as the ones I have observed as adults. The larvae have prominent gills. 3 long split tails, similar size and color, hign densities along shore and in the shallows, etc. I'm 90% sure that they are Leptophlebiidae. But I don't know the species, yet.
The trout don't seem to key in on the adults...since they emerge on land...but I have experienced some incredible fishing during very windy days while the hatch is on. The nymphs appear to have trouble holding on to the substrates they are trying to emerge on. I have witessed several swimming to a streamside cobble, grasping the rock for a moment, only to be swepped back into the water by small, lapping waves being caused by the wind. They try repeatedly but seem to get exhausted pretty quickly. They must be easy picking for fish cruising along the bank, as I have great success fishing imitations along the shore with short twitches. I have rarely seen duns on the surface of the stream, even on the windiest of days. They seem to emerge late morning to early afternoon.
CAN ANYBODY SUGGEST WHAT SPECIES THIS MAYBE. I don't have a scope or any literature anymore. I have experience with ID'ing but not lately
Any help would be appreciated by this inquisitive angler. Thanks
Jason Mszaros
The Drag Free School of Fly Fishing
928-273-9445
ReplyParalep Hatching Behavior 9 Replies »Over the past several years I have witnessed a spectacular emergence of mayflies on a stream I frequent in the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona. The stream is a tributary to the Little Colorado River drainage.
The adults seem to emerge on exposed midstream rocks of along the shoreline. The duns can be very dense, sometimes every rock along shore has one drying its wings beforetaking flight They are a dark greyish brown bodied, dark grey winged adult, I have named them MOCHA DUNS for lack of knowledge of their true identity. Three tails on the adult as well. They are pretty big....a big size 14 to 16. I have captured several specimens as larvae that I believe are the same species as the ones I have observed as adults. The larvae have prominent gills. 3 long split tails, similar size and color, hign densities along shore and in the shallows, etc. I'm 90% sure that they are Leptophlebiidae. But I don't know the species, yet.
The trout don't seem to key in on the adults...since they emerge on land...but I have experienced some incredible fishing during very windy days while the hatch is on. The nymphs appear to have trouble holding on to the substrates they are trying to emerge on. I have witessed several swimming to a streamside cobble, grasping the rock for a moment, only to be swepped back into the water by small, lapping waves being caused by the wind. They try repeatedly but seem to get exhausted pretty quickly. They must be easy picking for fish cruising along the bank, as I have great success fishing imitations along the shore with short twitches. I have rarely seen duns on the surface of the stream, even on the windiest of days. They seem to emerge late morning to early afternoon.
CAN ANYBODY SUGGEST WHAT SPECIES THIS MAYBE. I don't have a scope or any literature anymore. I have experience with ID'ing but not lately
Any help would be appreciated by this inquisitive angler. Thanks
Jason Mszaros
The Drag Free School of Fly Fishing
928-273-9445
Posted by Shawnny3 on Apr 6, 2009 in the genus Paraleptophlebia
Last reply on Apr 30, 2009 by Taxon
I can't remember where I read or heard these things (might have been on this site), but I want to make sure my vague recollections are not totally false. When Paraleptophlebia are mating, do they make exaggerated dives in clouds above the stream? If so, do they often end up in the water at these times or do they fall as spinners much later? Finally, when they emerge, do they do so at the stream bottom and then swim to the surface as duns?
Thanks for any help,
Shawn
ReplySoutheast Mayflies 24 Replies »Thanks for any help,
Shawn
Posted by DarkDun on Nov 20, 2006 in the species Leptophlebia cupida
Last reply on Mar 4, 2007 by Taxon
This is one of the species that seem to be prevalent in our area of southwest NC. It emerges in March as I recall and again in October on certain streams. I would like to confirm that this next season.
Reply
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