Bug ID help

[Wildfish]

These were "hatching" on a freestone stream yesterday. Not a prolific hatch at all, but there were a few in the air and it had the brookies looking up. Any idea what it is? 4 tails.

 

[jayL]

Blue quill spinner?

 

[Wildfish]

Too big to be a blue quill. Plus those hatch in the spring and have 3 tails, don't they?

 

[JackM]

Most likely a male mayfly spinner, never heard of any mayfly with 4 tails. If you are certain, I hope you made a wish on it. Could be one of the varieties generally called blue quills. The approximate size might help narrow things down.

Here is a great resource for bug ID:

http://fishermonk.com

 

[jayL]

Not sure. When I see a clear body, I call it a blue quill.

 

[Wildfish]

You guys are probably right. Maybe just a 4-tailed mutant.

 

[barbless]

like a 4-leaf clover. There are no species of mayfly in which 4 tail fibers is anything close to typical. That's the first example I've ever seen, in fact.

Nice photo. I assume that the darker part of the body toward the tail is the egg sac, making the mayfly a female spinner. (spinner = clear wings)

My guess is that it's a blue quill.

 

[JackM]

No, not an egg sack and likely a male based on large eyes:

http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/635

 

[Wildfish]

No egg sack, but definitely 4 tails. Should have wished on it for a 20 inch brookie.

 

[bkasten]

Looks like 3 tails to me. The one on the right looks like the joint in the rubber in the door.

 

[CodorusTUTom]

I suspected a paralep of some sort so I went to troutnut and did some poking around. Apparently there are two species: Paraleptophlebia debilis and Paraleptophlebia praepedita, 'cousins' of the spring's blue quill, that emerge in the east in fall. I've seen them on the Savage. He has a picture of a spinner out there that looks just like the one in your pic.

 

[osprey]

Four Tails? Wildfish do you live anywhere near TMI? I don't know of any with four tails but it looks like four tails to me.

 

[MKern]

Definately a male insect. The red eyes are a dead give-away.

I'm also not a 100% sure it has 4 tails either. If it did/does it's a mutant. It probably didn't shead one from the dun stage.

Usually the most sensible reason is the correct one....

 

[OldLefty]

I would venture that it is a late season Blue Quill (Paraleptophlebia). The appearance is characteristic of the male spinner with a dark thorax, nearly transparent abdomen except for the dark area near the tails.

No self-respecting mayfly would allow itself to be seen out and about flaunting 4 tails. That would be like a reindeer having a glowing red nose...and we all know how the other reindeer treated one of their own plagued with this condition ;-)

 

[Heritage-Angler]

"He who laughs first...." :lol:

 

[ant]

Looks like 3 tails to me. The one on the right looks like the joint in the rubber in the door.

I think you are correct. That far right "tail" comes over and would connect below the bugs arse by a decent amount.

 

[afishinado]

Yup, the "fourth" tail is actually the joint on the interior molding of the vehicle. It's a Parlep spinner.