Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.
Scientific name search:

> > 2 tails or 3

This topic is about the Mayfly Species Maccaffertium vicarium

In the East and Midwest this is one of the most important hatches of the Spring. They are large flies which emerge sporadically, making for long days of good fishing.

This species contains the two classic Eastern hatches formerly known as Stenonema vicarium and Stenonema fuscum, the "March Brown" and "Gray Fox." Entomologists have discovered that these mayflies belong to the same species, but they still display differences in appearance which the trout notice easily. Anglers should be prepared to imitate both types. Read more...

Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Nymph Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Nymph (5 Pictures)
Female Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Spinner Female Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Spinner (7 Pictures)
Male Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Dun Male Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Dun (10 Pictures)

There are 8 more specimens...

The Discussion

Post Reply
SnagyFebruary 5th, 2010, 8:32 pm
Posts: 1I notice that while the dun, nymph, and spinner photos on the page are all listed as March Brown (maccaffertium vicarium). While the coloration patterns all seem to follow other March Browns I have seen, I notice that the winged flies pictures all have 2 tails, but the nymphs in the photos have 3. I was under the impression this species was a 2 tailed mayfly. Is the nymph mislabelled?
TaxonFebruary 6th, 2010, 9:01 am
Site Editor
Mercer Island, WA

Posts: 921		Snagy-

Good observation. Maccaffertium vicarium belongs to family Heptageniidae (Flatheaded Mayflies). Heptageniids have three tails as a nymph, and two tails in their winged stages, except for two genera, Epeorus and Ironodes, which have two tails, both as nymphs, and in their winged stages.
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

Quick Reply

You have to be logged in to post on the forum. It's this easy:
Username:          Email:

Password:    Confirm Password:

I am at least 13 years old and agree to the rules.

Related Discussions

TitleRepliesLast Reply
Re: Not sure what this is...
In the Photography Board by Freepow		3Jun 6, 2008
by Freepow
Re: Insect photos on CatskillFlies website
In the Mayfly Genus Ephemerella by Jpsully		4May 24, 2008
by Softhackle
Re: Maccaffertium spinner, maybe??
In the Identify This! Board by Wiflyfisher		9Jun 13, 2008
by Wiflyfisher
Re: Size Variation in March Browns
In the Identify This! Board by Fishskicano		5May 20, 2009
by GONZO
Re: What mayfly is this
In the Identify This! Board by CouxJoe		9May 17, 2007
by Quillgordon
Re: central penna mayfly nymphs
In the Identify This! Board by Gutcutter		8Jun 14, 2010
by JOHNW
Re: Battenkill Bugs
In the Identify This! Board by DayTripper		4Jun 27, 2008
by GONZO
Re: Heptageniidae Family breakup ???
In the Mayfly Family Heptageniidae by Quillgordon		14Mar 24, 2009
by GONZO
Re: Coffin Fly Spinner
In Male Ephemera simulans Mayfly Spinner by Jackson		6Jun 10, 2009
by Martinlf
Re: fly names
In General Discussion by Konchu		2May 28, 2009
by GONZO
Most Recent Posts
Re: Montana's Winter Fishing!
In the Photography Board by Jesse (Falsifly replied)
Re: Flooding Effects?
In General Discussion by Jesse (PaulRoberts replied)
Re: Hooks
In Fly Tying by Strmanglr (PaulRoberts replied)
Re: Heptagenia culacantha
In the Photography Board by Crepuscular (Entoman replied)
Re: fish id, weird brown?
In General Discussion by FishThirty (Jesse replied)
Re: Big fish
In General Discussion by Strmanglr (PaulRoberts replied)
Re: Added more Heptagenia culacantha info
In the Mayfly Species Heptagenia culacantha by Troutnut (Entoman replied)
Re: Western Paraleptophlebia
In the Mayfly Genus Paraleptophlebia by Entoman
Re: Invaria - Dorothea confusion
In the Mayfly Genus Ephemerella by Entoman
Re: ??Trout in Swampy Areas??
In the Photography Board by FisherOfMen (GldstrmSam replied)