What is this?

CinnamonJoe

CinnamonJoe

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MOUNT VERNON
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Sitting here enjoying the last bit of the weekend, sipping a high ball on my porch, and this showed up, and landed on one of the porch columns. Almost like an omen or something? LOL

Including the tail, its > 2-1/2". Its big! Its July 12. In Iowa. The closest water is a brook about 1/2 mile east of my house. Its cold, but only harbors dace and chubs.

What is it?

Joe
 
CinnamonJoe said:
View attachment 1641252396

Sitting here enjoying the last bit of the weekend, sipping a high ball on my porch, and this showed up, and landed on one of the porch columns. Almost like an omen or something? LOL

Including the tail, its > 2-1/2". Its big! Its July 12. In Iowa. The closest water is a brook about 1/2 mile east of my house. Its cold, but only harbors dace and chubs.

What is it?

Joe
Click to expand...
Extended forelegs and abdomen markings suggest a Hexagenia genus maybe limbata? - most large brown summer mayflies are Hexes
 
Dear CinnamonJoe,

It's a bug. Leave it be and get another highball! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
Apparently, they can travel quite a ways from their home water.

I used to find them around the parking lot lights at the hospital I used to work at.
And have always wondered where they came from.

The hospital is located in a Pittsburgh suburb
There is a very small stream close to it, that is basically just a culvert for storm runoff
and dries up in the summer. Really doubt that's their source
Closest waterway of any size is the lower end of Chartiers Creek - which has always been pretty badly polluted. At least a mile away.

The Ohio River - which I believe has hex hatches - is about 2-3 miles away.
And I think the likeliest source for those bugs
 
Found this guy (or gal) hanging outside my house - which I only bring up because I rarely ever get them. I get the occasional small sulphur but usually nothing this large my way. Very neat. Any ideas? For reference I’m in Adams County.

IMG_6782.jpeg
 
that's closer to the size of green drakes I saw out west. not like the Huey-sized ones in central pa
 
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