Troutnut Forum > Specimen Discussion > Invaria nymph

The Specimen

The Discussion

Martinlf	December 23rd, 2006, 8:50 pm
Palmyra PA Posts: 907	OK, the invaria nymph shows the same lighter darker dorsal bandsand the solid dark ventral color on the abdomen as the subvaria, though its size makes me wonder if it is immature and may darken. For many considering this kind of detail will be superfluous, but for some of us nuts who like to fritter away the hours considering the possible uses of such information, this may confirm the claims of those who like to leave streaks in when blending fur, or perhaps even the claims of Caucci and Nastasi who promote a spectrumized dubbing.
	Louis Is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout! that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk . . . and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold! --Izaak Walton The Compleat Angler
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DarkDun	April 18th, 2007, 9:52 pm
Posts: 16	Just looking at this post today since we have some Sulpurs hatching around here right now and invariably I find that a vareigated fly imitation is much better at getting a take than so many monocromatic imitations that are commercially tied. This goes for the tail, the legs (hackle) and the body of my emergers. For this hatch I find that drys only work for a few minutes early in the hatch and then a emerger is a must for the next two hours or I will go fishless. I usully band or variegate my nymphs, emergers and dries like the naturals body.
Troutnut	April 18th, 2007, 10:07 pm
Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1115	This isn't a mature nymph, but your observation is probably even more true for mature ones. When you get really close up, you can see a wide variety of color patterns and shades in these invaria nymphs. There are differences in between nymphs, but often also several color shifts on a given nymph. I might not go so far as to compare it to army camouflage, but it's something like that.
	Jason Neuswanger The Troutnut
Konchu	April 18th, 2007, 10:55 pm
Indiana Posts: 200	What Jason says is incredibly true! Some also have bold stripes going the length of the body. Possibly this breaks up their outline from above. The invaria nymph has lots of color variation. I won't open a can of worms by saying any more. :)
Troutnut	April 18th, 2007, 11:29 pm
Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1115	I would like to peer into that can of worms. :) I didn't realize invaria came in a striped variety. Does subvaria, too? I'd like to know what you think of some of the older 2004 specimens I have listed under aurivillii on this site. They're not good enough pictures to key the specimens, but they have an awfully distinctive look -- maybe you'll recognize them.
	Jason Neuswanger The Troutnut
Konchu	April 18th, 2007, 11:45 pm
Indiana Posts: 200	Don't recall seeing as much striping in Ephemerella subvaria. Ephemerella invaria, on the other hand, is all over the board. Some Eurylophella have this striping variation, too. Those "2004" specimens that you called aurivillii indeed could be aurivillii. I wouldn't rule it out. Where were these taken? Wisc or the UP?
Troutnut	April 18th, 2007, 11:49 pm
Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1115	Northwest Wisconsin, Bois Brule drainage and the tributaries of the White, in Bayfield and Douglas counties.
	Jason Neuswanger The Troutnut
Konchu	April 18th, 2007, 11:53 pm
Indiana Posts: 200	Thanks for the info, Jason. While we're on the subject of invaria...dare I mention the name rotunda?
Troutnut	April 19th, 2007, 1:16 am
Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1115	Well, all I really know is that rotunda and invaria were synonymized. Is there still some conflict among entomologists about this? One thing I'd like to know is whether they were determined to be two distinct varieties too similar to be called separate species, or if the initial descriptions simply underestimated the variability in invaria.
	Jason Neuswanger The Troutnut
Konchu	April 19th, 2007, 8:25 am
Indiana Posts: 200	initial underestimations of overall variability (or complete failure to recognize any) and lack of differences between specimens that hold down names led to a decision to recognize the names invaria and rotunda (and several others) as equivalent however, some people notice two forms or broods in local areas; one they call rotunda, one they call invaria
GONZO	April 19th, 2007, 2:00 pm
"Bear Swamp," PA Posts: 876	I do know a couple of biologists/entomologists that still draw a distinction between invaria and rotunda, but I don't know enough about their reasons to make their argument for them.

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