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

> > Big and Little Hexes?



CaseyPJuly 3rd, 2013, 11:06 am
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
fished Pittsburg, NH, at Back Lake last week for the hex hatch and enjoyed it immensely. the bugs were really big, wings standing perhaps as high as 3 inches off the water, and bodies about as long.

then fished a pond in VT with the same color bugs hatching at the same time in the same manner, but they were about half the size.

different bug? different ecology, therefore smaller?

trout loved them either size.
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
Kschaefer3July 3rd, 2013, 11:52 am
St. Paul, MN

Posts: 376
trout loved them either size.
And that's the most important thing, right? Great question though. The variability of nature is often surprising and incredible.
SayfuJuly 3rd, 2013, 4:00 pm
Posts: 560
On my SF of the Snake big fish will often take the smaller bug...Big salmonflies out that are huge, and the fish will often rise to the smaller golden stones much better.
TaxonJuly 3rd, 2013, 5:38 pm
Site Editor
Royse City, TX

Posts: 1350
Hi Casey-

fished Pittsburg, NH, at Back Lake last week for the hex hatch and enjoyed it immensely. the bugs were really big, wings standing perhaps as high as 3 inches off the water, and bodies about as long.

then fished a pond in VT with the same color bugs hatching at the same time in the same manner, but they were about half the size.

different bug? different ecology, therefore smaller?

trout loved them either size.


The Hexagenia emerging in NH were probably H. limbata, and those emerging in VT were probably H. rigida. Different species, but so similar that distinguishing one from the other requires microscopic examination of the genitalia of a male imago.
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
CaseyPJuly 3rd, 2013, 9:18 pm
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
so similar that distinguishing one from the other requires microscopic examination of the genitalia of a male imago

umm...instead of just measuring the wings?
or does size not matter...
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
TaxonJuly 3rd, 2013, 10:49 pm
Site Editor
Royse City, TX

Posts: 1350
Hi Casey-

Once upon a time, there were believed to be many more species of Hexagenia than there are today. Many of those earlier-identified "species" were combined with Hexagenia limbata. The following excerpt from Mayfly Central's Species List - North American documents this species concept re-definition:

Hexagenia limbata (Serville), 1829 [CAN:FN,NE,NW;MEX:FS,SW;USA:NE,NW,SE,SW]

Ephemera limbata Serville, 1829 (orig.)
Hexagenia affiliata McDunnough, 1927 (syn.)
Hexagenia californica Upholt, 1937 (syn.)
Hexagenia carolina Traver, 1931 (syn.)
Hexagenia elegans Traver, 1931 (syn.)
Hexagenia kanuga Traver, 1937 (syn.)
Hexagenia marilandica Traver, 1931 (syn.)
Hexagenia mingo Traver, 1931 (syn.)
Hexagenia munda Eaton, 1883 (syn.)
Hexagenia occulta (Walker), 1853 (syn.)
Hexagenia pallens Traver, 1935 (syn.)
Hexagenia rosacea Traver, 1931 (syn.)
Hexagenia variabilis Eaton, 1883 (syn.)
Hexagenia venusta Eaton, 1883 (syn.)
Hexagenia viridescens (Walker), 1853 (syn.)
Hexagenia weewa Traver, 1931 (syn.)
Palingenia limbata (Serville), 1829 (comb.)
Palingenia occulta Walker, 1853 (syn.)
Palingenia viridescens Walker, 1853 (syn.)


As a result, Hexagenia limbata subimagoes/imagoes vary in body length from ~12 mm to ~37 mm, whereas Hexagenia rigida vary in body length from ~19 to ~20 mm, and forewing lengths are approximately the same as (or slightly shorter than) body lengths.
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
Jmd123July 4th, 2013, 1:12 pm
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2611
Hey look everybody, Roger finally metamorphosed into an adult!!!

;oD

Jonathon

P.S. I also recently changed from a guy holding a smallmouth to a guy sitting in a yellow kayak...
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
CaseyPJuly 4th, 2013, 5:14 pm
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
vary in body length from ~12 mm to ~37 mm

okay, so wing/body length is not the determining factor. thanks!
the hexes on the screen at the lodge looked larger than 35mm, but of course any bug nearly that size looks enormous, especially on the glassy surface of the lake at sunset.
so, hexes rule, big and small!
the fish in the pond are never fished for, and after one gulped down two real flies and one fishing fly in less time than it takes to tell, i felt bad and stopped fishing. my excuse was the water was kind of warm...
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra

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: Hexagenia Mayflies
In General Discussion by Motrout
2Jun 30, 2010
by Oldredbarn
Re: Hexagenia limbata vs rigida
In the Identify This! Board by Aafloyd
4Nov 2, 2011
by Jmd123
Re: What mayfly is this
In the Identify This! Board by CouxJoe
9May 17, 2007
by Quillgordon
Re: Mayfly Species Distribution Maps
In General Discussion by Taxon
13May 5, 2014
by Taxon
Re: Hex in NC???
In the Identify This! Board by CalebBoyle
4May 24, 2007
by CalebBoyle
Re: Is this a Hexagenia limbata specimen?
In the Identify This! Board by WovenPerla
10Jun 30, 2009
by Jmd123
Re: This is not Ephemera simulans
In Hexagenia limbata Mayfly Nymph by Beardius
1Aug 2, 2008
by Troutnut
Re: Mahogany Dun?
In the Identify This! Board by TroutNut2
14Jun 17, 2007
by GONZO
Re: I need your help to get some specimens of Caecidotea (Freshwater isopods).
In General Discussion by Leonardo
4Jun 1, 2016
by Crepuscular
Re: Weird Bug Question...
In General Discussion by Oldredbarn
1Apr 20, 2010
by Wiflyfisher
Most Recent Posts
Re: large free living caddis rhyacophila?
In the Identify This! Board by Kjfeen (Taxon replied)