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Mayfly Species Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill)

Taxonomic Navigation -?-
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
» Class Insecta (Insects)
» Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
» Family Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons)
» Genus Stenacron (Light Cahills)
» Species interpunctatum (Light Cahill)
Common Names
Pictures Below
This is the best of the sporadic summer hatches known to anglers as Light Cahills.  

Where & When

Regions: East, Midwest
Time Of Year (?): Mid-May through late August, peaking in late June and early July
Stenacron interpunctatum emergence is quite sparse, but it can be important because there is so little competition on the water on late-season evenings.

The best hatching in the East is in late June an early July, and in the Midwest this species peaks about a month later.

Hatching Behavior

Time Of Day (?): Sporadically all afternoon and evening in cool streams; concentrated in the evening in warm weather
Habitat: Slow water
This species emerges more gracefully than the related duns of Maccaffertium and Stenonema, and emerger patterns take on less importance. They drift for a while as duns, and that is the stage to imitate, although the nymphs preparing for emergence can also be of value.

Spinner Behavior

Time Of Day: Twilight or after dark; may be earlier on cloudy days
Habitat: Riffles
Stenacron interpunctatum flies return to the stream as spinners a couple days after hatching.

The females oviposit while laying on the water.

Nymph Biology

Current Speed: Medium to fast
Substrate: Gravel, detritus (Detritus: Small, loose pieces of decaying organic matter underwater.)
Environmental Tolerance: Tolerant of warm temperatures, but not pollution

3 Mayfly Specimens in the Species Stenacron interpunctatum:

Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly SpinnerStenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly SpinnerView 8 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Jun 10, 2005
Added May 26, 2006
Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly NymphStenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly NymphView 7 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Jun 5, 2005
Added May 25, 2006
Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly DunStenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly DunView 6 PicturesThis is a fairly small late-season female Stenacron dun.
Region: Northeast
Collected Aug 22, 2006
Added Aug 24, 2006

1 Streamside Picture of Stenacron interpunctatum Mayflies:

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This male Stenacron interpunctatum spinner rests on a wooden dock over the warmwater lake on which he was found.  Many of his kind were in the air over parts of the lake at dusk.
This male Stenacron interpunctatum spinner rests on a wooden dock over the warmwater lake on which he was found. Many of his kind were in the air over parts of the lake at dusk.

In this picture: Mayfly Species Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill).
RegionUpper Midwest
Date TakenJun 15, 2006
Date AddedJul 1, 2006

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