Black Quills and Blue Quills

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Scientific Name

Match	Scientific Name
	Leptophlebia

This common name refers to only one genus.

Mayfly Genus Leptophlebia

These are pretty much always called Black Quills and Blue Quills.

Leptophlebia mayflies do not generate superhatches, but their medium-large size and other properties make them a relevant part of the early season.

The information below was mostly discovered in Leptophlebia cupida, the most important species, but it is not known to differ in the others.

Leptophlebia cupida (Borcher Drake) Mayfly Nymph

View 7 Pictures

Collected January 13, 2004 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on January 25, 2006

Female Leptophlebia (Black Quills and Blue Quills) Mayfly Dun

View 7 PicturesI collected this mayfly after user Al514 tipped me off to the presence of some Leptophlebia mayflies I didn't seem to have yet with his ID request of a male dun. This seems to be of the same species. I also collected a female spinner. Based on that spinner, I can tell that this is either Leptophlebia cupida or Leptophlebia nebulosa, but I can't tell which.

Unfortunately none of the specimens I collected made it through the hot, sunny day very well. So the pictures aren't great, but they're better than nothing.

Collected May 9, 2007 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 18, 2007

Female Leptophlebia cupida (Borcher Drake) Mayfly Spinner

View 7 Pictures

Collected May 28, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 24, 2006

See 17 more specimens...

Jargon Defined:

Dun: Mayflies have two adult stages. They first emerge from the water as duns (scientifically known as the subimago stage). They then molt into the spinner (imago) stage, in which they mate and die. Sometimes the word "dun" is confusingly used to refer to a brownish gray color in fly tying materials.

Spinner: There are two winged stages of adult mayflies. They emerge from the water as duns, molt on land (usually) into their fully mature stage, spinners. As spinners, they mate, lay eggs, and die.