Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.

Mayfly Species Serratella deficiens (Darth Vader)

Taxonomic Navigation -?-
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
» Class Insecta (Insects)
» Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
» Family Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs)
» Genus Serratella
» Species deficiens (Darth Vader)
Common Names
Pictures Below
Anglers in western Wisconsin, where these little flies hatch in good numbers on summer rivers, have termed them "Darth Vaders" because of the very dark color of their wings.  

Where & When

Regions: East, Midwest
Time Of Year (?): June and July
Most writers say this species emerges in June and July, but Caucci and Nastasi in Hatches II report that it is important in the Catskills in the late summer and fall. The others might be referring to hatches in the Midwest, where the species is also prolific, or there may be some confusion between species.

Hatching Behavior

Time Of Day (?): Late morning.
The tiny duns take a while to break through the surface film, and then they linger on the surface before flying off. Despite their small size they can provide excellent fishing where they are abundant.

The angling literature says they hatch in late morning, and anglers familiar with the hatch confirm this, but they also report afternoon and evening hatches.

Spinner Behavior

These spinner falls are unimportant.

Nymph Biology

Current Speed: Slow to medium
Substrate: They do especially well in weedy streams.

1 Mayfly Specimen in the Species Serratella deficiens:

Serratella deficiens (Darth Vader) Mayfly NymphSerratella deficiens (Darth Vader) Mayfly NymphView 6 PicturesThis nymph has tiny, barely detectable 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 its abdominal segments, and I could not find the maxillary palpi. I have tentatively guessed that it is Serratella deficiens.
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Jun 9, 2005
Added May 26, 2006

Your Thoughts On Serratella deficiens:

You must log in at the top of the page to post. If you haven't registered yet, it's this easy:

Username:     Email:

Password:    Confirm Password:

I am at least 13 years old and agree to the rules.
Top 10 Hatches
Top 5 Products
Top 5 Specimens
Recent Updates
Last update July 19th, 2007.
Misc. Websites