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Mayfly Genus Cinygmula (Dark Red Quills)

Taxonomic Navigation -?-
Species in CinygmulaNumber of SpecimensNumber of Pictures
Cinygmula mimus00
Cinygmula par00
Cinygmula ramaleyiSmall Western Gordon Quill00
Cinygmula reticulataWestern Ginger Quill00
Cinygmula subaequalisSmall Gordon Quill00

5 species aren't included.
Common Name
MatchCommon Name
***Dark Red Quills
Pictures Below
This is primarily a Western genus. Cinygmula ramaleyi is the most important species, producing good hatches in the West. Cinygmula reticulata may also be relevant, and I have seen a great spinner swarm from an unsung species, Cinygmula par, in the Washington Cascades.

There is only one Eastern species, Cinygmula subaequalis, and its importance is minor.
  

Where & When


I have found different Cinygmula species emerging throughout the summer and fall in Washington and Alaska.

Hatching Behavior


Most Cinygmula duns emerge in the surface film, but in some cases they may escape their nymphal shucks (
Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.
Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.
Shuck: The shed exoskeleton left over when an insect molts into its next stage or instar. Most often it describes the last nymphal or pupal skin exited during emergence into a winged adult.
)
while still drifting to the surface.

Spinner Behavior


The angling literature suggests that Cinygmula spinner falls are too sporadic to be important, but I have seen Cinygmula par swarming in very good numbers, albeit on a small stream where hatch-matching wasn't needed because the hungry trout would hit anything anyway.

Nymph Biology


Cinygmula nymphs can withstand slower water than many of the other genera in the Heptageniidae family.


Pictures of 35 Mayfly Specimens in the Genus Cinygmula:

Specimen Page:12345
Cinygmula subaequalis (Small Gordon Quill) Mayfly NymphCinygmula subaequalis (Small Gordon Quill) Mayfly Nymph View 10 PicturesThis nymph is missing a few gills, but is otherwise in good shape. It was the only one of its species which turned up in my sample.
Collected May 29, 2007 from Paradise Creek in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Male Cinygmula (Dark Red Quills) Mayfly SpinnerMale Cinygmula (Dark Red Quills) Mayfly Spinner View 11 PicturesI'm unsure of the ID on this one; keys put it closest to Cinygmula reticulata, but I'm very doubtful of the species and not positive on the genus. Epeorus is another possibility, but I don't know which species it would be.

This one was collected in association with a female dun probably of the same species.
Collected July 1, 2017 from the South Fork Stillaguamish River in Washington
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 2, 2017
Cinygmula ramaleyi (Small Western Gordon Quill) Mayfly NymphCinygmula ramaleyi (Small Western Gordon Quill) Mayfly Nymph View 9 PicturesThis nymph is almost definitely the same species as this dun, which hatched from a nearly identical nymph from the same collection.
Collected July 10, 2011 from Nome Creek in Alaska
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 13, 2011
Specimen Page:12345

Recent Discussions of Cinygmula

Red Heptagenia? 30 Replies »
Posted by GONZO on Jul 19, 2011
Last reply on Jul 24, 2011 by PaulRoberts
The gills and protruding mouthparts make me think that this might be Cinygmula. I've seen red phase Rhithrogena nymphs, but have never seen this coloration in Cinygmula (or Heptagenia).
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