**Mayfly Species Paraleptophlebia debilis (Mahogany Dun)**

Mayflies

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Taxonomic Navigation -?-

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

» Class Insecta (Insects)

» Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)

» Family Leptophlebiidae (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns)

» Genus Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns)

» Species debilis (Mahogany Dun)

Common Names

Match	Common Name
	Mahogany Dun
	Blue Dun

Pictures Below ↓

This widespread species can produce memorable hatches where it is locally abundant, especially in the West where it also tends to run larger in size. It loves the margins as is typical of most Leptophlebiidae species but has a greater tolerance for current. They are often found even in riffles. This is the most important species in the West.

Where & When

Regions: East, Midwest, West

Time Of Year (?): July through October; peaks in September and October

Though they can begin to trickle off in the Summer, this species is most important in the Fall when its hatches concentrate. Added volume from other similar species of Paraleptophlebia can make these hatches of Mahogany Duns very important. When the hatch is at its greatest concentration, an added bonus is that there are often few competing insects on the water. It occurs across the continent and may be reinforced by Paraleptophlebia praepedita in the East or by one of several unusual tusk bearing species, Paraleptophlebia bicornuta, Paraleptophlebia packii and Paraleptophlebia helena in the West.

Hatching Behavior

Time Of Day (?): Midday

Water Temperature: 50-55°F

Spinner Behavior

Time Of Day: Afternoon

Nymph Biology

Current Speed: Moderate

Leptophlebiidae species have a unique behavioral characteristic. They like to school and migrate to hatch sites like a little school of minnows. The angler fortunate enough to intercept them during this behavior can experience some fast and furious nymph fishing.

Pictures of 1 Mayfly Specimen in the Species Paraleptophlebia debilis:

Female Paraleptophlebia debilis (Mahogany Dun) Mayfly Dun

View 3 PicturesSize: 9mm. These photos really highlight the brown pigmentation of the wing venation (Venation: The pattern in which the veins on the wings of an insect are arranged. It is usually one of the most useful identifying characteristics.), but in the hand the wings look to be a uniform smokey gray. - Entoman

Collected October 22, 2011 from the Fall River in California
Added to Troutnut.com by Entoman on February 4, 2012

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Jargon Defined:

Duns: Mayflies have two adult stages. They first emerge from the water as duns (scientifically known as the subimago stage). They then molt into the spinner (imago) stage, in which they mate and die. Sometimes the word "dun" is confusingly used to refer to a brownish gray color in fly tying materials.

Nymph: The juvenile, underwater stages of mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and damselflies and other aquatic insects whose juvenile stages are covered by hard exoskeletons. The word can also refer to the fishing flies which imitate these creatures, in which case it is used as a blanket term for flies imitating any underwater stage of an invertebrate (except for crayfish and leeches).

Venation: The pattern in which the veins on the wings of an insect are arranged. It is usually one of the most useful identifying characteristics.

Useful References:

Arbona, Fred Jr. 1989. Mayflies, the Angler, and the Trout. Nick Lyons Books.

Caucci, Al and Nastasi, Bob. 2004. Hatches II. The Lyons Press.

Knopp, Malcolm and Robert Cormier. 1997. Mayflies: An Angler's Study of Trout Water Ephemeroptera . The Lyons Press.

Leonard, Justin W. and Fannie A. Leonard. 1962. Mayflies of Michigan Trout Streams. Cranbrook Institute of Science.