BWO and Sulphur?

[SBecker]

Got pictures of these two mayfly species on the Poconogoloco today.

Also, I have it on good authority the Sulphur hatch is just starting up between Walnutport and Treichlers on the Lehigh. I trust my source of insect species. He said it came on heavy in the evening.

Crushed what I think is the sulphur species...sorry

 

[TimRobinsin]

i thought BWO wings were speckled? youll have to enlighten me tomorrow

 

[SBecker]

Hell if I know, This was more of a question to the board.

 

[TimRobinsin]

hahaha, I got ya, yeah I'm no expert.

 

[gutcutter]

Large bwo (drunella sp.) and sulphurs (e.invaria) all have three tails. Neither of those flies match

They look like the same fly to me with a slight variation in color

 

[SBecker]

Gut, you think the pale yellow one and the green one look the same? The pale yellow one was 2 hook sizes larger.

 

[gutcutter]

You mean you don't keep a ruler in your plastic pocket pen protector?
How was i to know? :roll:
They still only have four tails between them 🙂

Baetis have 2 tails, Drunella 3
the sulphurs have 3 also

 

[SBecker]

Watcha think they are? I am interested to further my knowledge of these stupid, but stunning insects.

 

[gutcutter]

not great photos,but i'll take a shot:
maccaffertium - larger golden two tailed mayfly
baetis - small olive two tailed mayfly

anybody else have a guess?

 

[Chaz]

The darker fly is a dun the light yellow fly is a spinner, beyond that without the size it's hard to tell.

 

[buffalo7]

I took this pic. of a BWO April 11. It was about a #16. I've been finding smaller ones in the 20s lately in the spider webs on my bridge that are the same color, would they be Olive Quills?

I get to see a lot of insects that would go unnoticed in the spider webs, they have a good source of food here. I liberate some of the ones that are still alive, they still have plenty to eat.

 

[pcray1231]

1st 2. Plain wing, small hind wing, 2 tails. Assuming I got those traits right based on the picture, it makes it very likely to be in the Baetis genus. I can't go down to species, they all look the same to my eye, and we call them all BWO's.

3rd one, plain wing, two tails with large hind wing. NOT a baetis. I'm gonna go Epeorus genus. Most likely Vitreous, which go by a lot of common names, including sulphurs (though not among the big 2 species which are most known as sulphers), little maryatt, light cahill, pink lady, etc. Very large color variety in these guys. Could also be a quill gordon (also in Epeorus genus).

thought BWO wings were speckled?

There are a billion species, and several familes which we call BWO's. The Baetis genus is most common, and does not have a speckled wing. Drunella's also have a plain wing. Calibaetis have a speckled wing, and are sometimes called BWO's.

However, Drunella's have a large hind wing and 3 tails. The combination of small hind wings, un-mottled fore wings, and 2 tails is fairly rare but the entire Baetis genus fits the bill, and its a widespread genus.

maccaffertium - larger golden two tailed mayfly

Maccaffertium has a large hind wing, so only the last one could be. But they also have mottled wings, and this wing looks pretty plain to me. So I don't think there's a maccaffertium here.

 

[Maurice]

Chaz wrote:
The darker fly is a dun the light yellow fly is a spinner, beyond that without the size it's hard to tell.

I agree with Chuck....(inserts revolver into pie hole).

 

[tomitrout]

yep, gotta go w/ Chaz & Maurice, trout don't speak Latin.

First two are a size ?? bwo/Adams.

Third looks like a yellow spinner, awfully clear wings, size ??. Was that one hatching at the time or dancing over the water? I'd tie on either a darker sulphur or yellow Adams for that one...trim the wings & hackle down w/ the nippers if it was a mating dance/spinner fall.

And most importantly, were any trouts rising to either? That's the biggest factor regarding what to tie on...

 

[SBecker]

No rising trout, at least not like what I witnessed this evening :::Sigh and Tear:::::

 

[OldLefty]

1 and 2 are Baetis tricaudatus.
2 is Epeorus vitreus. That is a dun since the wings are opaque and not transparent. Note the markings on the legs as well as the two tails.

buffalo, I believe your pic is a Paraleptophlebia. It has all the characteristics of this genus; slender body, coloration, three tails and shape of hind wing.

Dave R.

 

[DaveKile]

Dave,

Nice calls.

 

[pcray1231]

1 and 2 are Baetis tricaudatus.
2 is Epeorus vitreus.

Woohoo, I got it!

 

[SBecker]

Thank you guys....now.....BWO and Sulphur correct? lol 🙂

 

[pcray1231]

BWO and, well, sulpher will work.

ephemerella dorothea and ephemerella invaria are the traditional sulphers that we equate with THE sulpher hatch. Your guy is in a totally different family, not just different species or genus, hence evolutionarily its much closer to quill gordons, march browns, and cahills than to sulphers and Hendricksons. However, based on appearance, sulpher is among one of its many names, so it fits in the broader "sulpher" category. Little Maryatt, Pink Lady, etc. are also used.

I agree trout aren't counting tails or looking for hind wing size and that sort of thing, but there are fishing related differences.

1. Your guy will be found in primarily fast water, where regular sulphers are found everywhere.

2. I believe the primary hatch period is over a much longer period, rather than a few weeks of superhatches you get a few here and there from spring straight through summer and into early fall.

3. Regular sulfurs swim to the surface as nymphs and transform there, and thus spending a lot of time on or just under the surface struggling to get through the film. These guys transform on the bottom or in the middle of the water column, hence a winged wet fly can likely be more effective, and nymphs in the film less effective.

4. I think epeorus species tend to be more pollution sensitive, so its a good sign for the stream.