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Baetisca (Armored Mayflies) Mayfly Nymph Pictures

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

» Class Insecta (Insects)

» Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)

» Family Baetiscidae (Armored Mayflies)

» Genus Baetisca (Armored Mayflies)

I've only got blurry pictures of this small Baetisca nymph, because it was zooming around the container in a frenzy. Several characteristics, if taken literally, suggest that it may be Baetisca lacustris. However, it's very small and it's the only candidate lacustris I collected among several laurentina specimens, so it's possible this is just an underdeveloped early instar (Instar: Many invertebrates molt through dozens of progressively larger and better-developed stages as they grow. Each of these stages is known as an instar. Hard-bodied nymphs typically molt through more instars than soft-bodied larvae.) laurentina.

This mayfly was collected from unknown on January 14th, 2004 and added to Troutnut.com on January 25th, 2006.

Video Clip

Swimming Baetisca Mayfly Nymph

Starring: Baetisca Mayfly Nymph

The clumsy-looking mayfly nymphs of the genus Baetisca are surprisingly good swimmers.

StateWisconsin

LocationNamekagon River

Date ShotJan 31, 2004

Date AddedMar 31, 2006

AuthorTroutnut

CameraOlympus C740UZ

Pictures

Shown Full Size

Here you can see the frontal projection on the head is not very well-developed.

AuthorTroutnut

CameraOlympus C740UZ

Shown Full Size

Baetisca (Armored Mayflies) Mayfly Nymph from unknown in Wisconsin

AuthorTroutnut

CameraOlympus C740UZ

Shown Full Size

This view shows that the dorsal projections do not extend above the height of the mid-dorsal hump. Baetisca (Armored Mayflies) Mayfly Nymph from unknown in Wisconsin

This view shows that the dorsal (Dorsal: Top.) projections do not extend above the height of the mid-dorsal (Dorsal: Top.) hump.

AuthorTroutnut

CameraOlympus C740UZ

Shown Full Size

Same nymph as above, different view. This angle also slightly shows the brown median line on the bottom of the back of the abdomen, another characteristic of B. lacustris.

AuthorTroutnut

CameraOlympus C740UZ

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Jargon Defined:

Abdomen: The rear and usually the longest (ten-segmented in mayflies) portion of an insect's body, to which the tails are attached.

Dorsal: Top.

Instar: Many invertebrates molt through dozens of progressively larger and better-developed stages as they grow. Each of these stages is known as an instar. Hard-bodied nymphs typically molt through more instars than soft-bodied larvae.

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).