Blog & Latest Updates
Fly Fishing Articles
Insects by Common Name
> > Lepto question
This topic is about the Mayfly Family Leptophlebiidae
The champions of this family are Leptophlebia and Paraleptophlebia, along with the relatively newly-defined genus Neoleptophlebia containing several important species that were once in Paraleptophlebia. The large mayflies of Leptophlebia are on the water sporadically for a long time. The Paraleptophlebia and Neoleptophlebia flies are smaller but come in much more concentrated numbers.
Leptophlebiidae also contains several genera and species which are never mentioned in fly-fishing literature, either because they are too rare or because they require water too warm for trout.
There are 60 more specimens...
The Discussion
| JasonM | March 7th, 2010, 12:18 am | |
| Prescott, AZ Posts: 1 | I live in Arizona and I have a question... Over the past several years I have witnessed a spectacular emergence of mayflies on a stream I frequent in the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona. The stream is a tributary to the Little Colorado River drainage. The adults seem to emerge on exposed midstream rocks of along the shoreline. The duns can be very dense, sometimes every rock along shore has one drying its wings beforetaking flight They are a dark greyish brown bodied, dark grey winged adult, I have named them MOCHA DUNS for lack of knowledge of their true identity. Three tails on the adult as well. They are pretty big....a big size 14 to 16. I have captured several specimens as larvae that I believe are the same species as the ones I have observed as adults. The larvae have prominent gills. 3 long split tails, similar size and color, hign densities along shore and in the shallows, etc. I'm 90% sure that they are Leptophlebiidae. But I don't know the species, yet. The trout don't seem to key in on the adults...since they emerge on land...but I have experienced some incredible fishing during very windy days while the hatch is on. The nymphs appear to have trouble holding on to the substrates they are trying to emerge on. I have witessed several swimming to a streamside cobble, grasping the rock for a moment, only to be swepped back into the water by small, lapping waves being caused by the wind. They try repeatedly but seem to get exhausted pretty quickly. They must be easy picking for fish cruising along the bank, as I have great success fishing imitations along the shore with short twitches. I have rarely seen duns on the surface of the stream, even on the windiest of days. They seem to emerge late morning to early afternoon. CAN ANYBODY SUGGEST WHAT SPECIES THIS MAYBE. I don't have a scope or any literature anymore. I have experience with ID'ing but not lately Any help would be appreciated by this inquisitive angler. Thanks Jason Mszaros The Drag Free School of Fly Fishing 928-273-9445 | |
| howdy | ||
| Taxon | March 7th, 2010, 12:45 am | |
 Site Editor Royse City, TXPosts: 1350 | JasonM- What month of the year does this emergence seem to peak? If it's some time between mid-June and mid-July, my guess would be Paraleptophlebia memorialis. Here is a detailed description: Family: Leptophlebiidae Scientific name: Paraleptophlebia memorialis Previously know as: Leptophlebia memorialis, Leptophlebia pallipes (in part), Paraleptophlebia pallipes Common name: Mahogany Dun, etc. Locality: W CAN Regions: NW MEX Regions: SW USA Regions: NW, SW Cent. Amer. Countries: CAN Provinces: AB, BC. MEX States: BN. USA States: AZ, CA, CO, ID, NM, OR, SD, UT, WA Habitat: Voltinism: Emergence (begin) date: mid-Jun Emergence (end) date: early-Aug Emergence time of day: afternoon Spinner fall time of day: Nymph minimum length: 6 mm. Nymph maximum length: 7 mm. Nymph identification keys: gill fork 1/3 from base; abdominal spines on segment 8 & 9; tergites dark, each w/three light dots, a medium-sized one on center-line, and a small-sized one forward on each side of center-line Nymph body description: Nymph legs: Nymph gills: gill/filament length ratio (1:3), trachael branching: (absent) Nymph tusks: absent Nymph tails: 3, Dun minimum length: 6 mm. Dun maximum length: 8 mm. Dun identification keys: Dun body description: brown to dark reddish brown Dun wings: medium gray, hind wings w/o costal angulation Dun legs: brown Dun tails: 3, light to dark brown Spinner minimum length: 7 mm. Spinner maximum length: 7 mm. Spinner identification keys: male claspers w/3 joints Spinner body description: abdomen whitish Spinner wings: hyaline, fore wing with attached intercalaries, hind wing w/o costal angulation Spinner legs: Spinner tails: 3, | |
| Best regards, Roger Rohrbeck www.FlyfishingEntomology.com | ||
Quick Reply
You have to be logged in to post on the forum. It's this easy:
Related Discussions
| Title | Replies | Last Reply |
Re: Unidentified Baetidae     (2 more) In the Identify This! Board by Benthosfan | 8 | May 5, 2021 by Benthosfan |
| Re: Little White Mayfly In General Discussion by Lastchance | 6 | Aug 1, 2009 by Taxon |
| Re: Emerger In the Mayfly Genus Serratella by Martinlf | 6 | Jun 11, 2009 by GONZO |
| Re: Thoughts In Male Eurylophella Mayfly Spinner by Taxon | 5 | Mar 7, 2013 by Entoman |
Re: Mayfly from Chalk stream In the Identify This! Board by Stanislav | 12 | May 4, 2007 by Taxon |
| Re: does color=species? In the Mayfly Family Ephemerellidae by CaseyP | 5 | May 2, 2008 by GONZO |
| Re: White Mayfly ---- Euphron leukon? In the Identify This! Board by JumpNotZero | 1 | Sep 9, 2008 by GONZO |
Re: can you identify this bug? In the Identify This! Board by Wchougland | 1 | Jan 12, 2021 by Troutnut |
| Distance between the eyes of male Epeorus In the Mayfly Genus Epeorus by Troutnut | 0 | |
| Re: Turkey Feathers In Fly Tying by GldstrmSam | 3 | Sep 24, 2012 by GldstrmSam |
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 Jason
Neuswanger (email Jason). See my FAQ for information about use of my images.
privacy policy
privacy policy