Mayfly ID central PA April 2022

[Tups]

This fly was hatching on a Mifflin County freestone stream on April 23 last year. Size 16.

Does anyone recognize it?

 

[Nympho]

Hendrickson

 

[pcray1231]

Yup. Hendrickson. AKA Ephemerella Subvaria.

Hatching behavior very similar to sulphurs. Swimming nymphs, floating nymphs in the film, emergers, and duns all in play.

 

[Tups]

Seemed awfully dark for E. Subvaria. I was thinking maybe Leptophlebia spp. What do you think about that?

 

[tomgamber]

Looks like what they called a Mahogany out west.

 

[Tups]

Yeah, I’m now thinking Paraleptophlebia adoptiva, aka Blue Quill or Mahogany Dun.

 

[Tups]

I am basing this ID on: Hatches II by Caucci and Nastasi; Complete Guide to Eastern Hatches by Tom Fuller; and Pocket Guide to Pennsylvania Hatches by Meck and Weamer.

Last April, late in the month, small wild browns would feed on these insects in this small central PA stream for maybe an hour in the afternoon. I used a size 16 brown spider to catch a few.

 

[falcon]

Paraleps .... Blue Quill.

 

[redietz]

Paraleps .... Blue Quill.

The rear wing doesn't look right for that. OTOH, size 16 suits a blue quill better than it does a Hendrickson.

 

[tomgamber]

So you disagree but agree?

 

[tomgamber]

To be clear, I'm just guessing. I like to play along.

 

[afishinado]

Blue Quill maybe >

Blue Quills

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[pcray1231]

Well, they're all brownish mayflies with 3 tails, non mottled wings, and a large hind wing.

A size 16 is small for a hendrickson, large for a blue quill. It's a smallish freestone stream, being on the small side of normal seems more likely, and me personally, without measuring, am more likely to underestimate size (call a 14 a 16, vs. an 18 a 16). Timing fits reasonably well for both, they overlap. All suggestions make sense here, but I'm still leaning hendrickson.