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WA Mayfly Description


Taxonomic Name
(Common Name)
Larva (Nymph)Subimago (Dun)
Imago (Spinner)
Baetidae-Baetis-Complex
(Small Minnow Mayfly )
Labrum w/ notch in midline; body streamlined; head vertically oriented; antennae usually longer than 2x head; round or oval platelike gills; all claws of similar size and shape; 2 or 3 tails. 2 tails; FW w/short single or double detached intercalaries, minute (or no) hind wings; eyes of male on stalks.


Taxonomic Name
(Common Name)
Larva (Nymph)Subimago (Dun)
Imago (Spinner)
Acentrella
mature larva (nymph) - male

Copyright © 2009 Tom Murray

subimago (dun) - female

Copyright © University of Guelph Insect Collection

imago (spinner) - male

Copyright © 2011 Bob Newell

imago (spinner) - female

Copyright © 2011 Tom Murray
AcentrellaBody somewhat flattened; paired dark dorsal spots on abdomen; prominent fringe of long setae on femur, tibia, and tarsi; very short middle tail w/fewer than 5 segments. .
Acentrella insignificans  
 Mature nymph w/large hind wing pads; common east of Cascades. .
Acentrella turbida
(Minute Gray-winged Brown; Little Slate-winged Brown Quill. )
  
 Body stout & chunky; abdomen pale olive with tergites 1-8 dark olive; mature nymph w/ltiny hind wing pads; common east of Cascades. Forewing with paired marginal veinlets.


Taxonomic Name
(Common Name)
Larva (Nymph)Subimago (Dun)
Imago (Spinner)
Baetis
(Blue-winged Olive; Blue-winged Olive Dun; Blue Wing; BWO; Little Iron Blue Quill; Little Brown Quill; Little Blue-winged Olive; Rusty Spinner; Tiny Olive. )
mature larva (nymph) - male

Copyright © 2009 Tom Murray

subimago (dun) - Female

Copyright © 2010 Tom Murray

imago (spinner) - male

Copyright © 2012 John Barry

BaetisSingle plate-like gills on abdominal segments 1-7. Hind wing exhibiting a pointed costal angulation; double intercalary veins.
Baetis alius  
 Cold water taxa with a longer body and maxillary palps that are not mitten-shaped. .
Baetis bicaudatus
(Light Rusty Spinner; Pale Olive Dun. )
  
 Abdomen medium brown w/tergites 1-10 pale in color; dark markings on segs. 3,4,7; veinlets indistinct. .
Baetis brunneicolor  
Baetis flavistriga
(Dark Blue-winged Olive; Dark Gray-winged Olive; Dark Gray-winged Olive Dun; Minute Blue-winged Olive; Little Slate-winged Brown Quill; Dark Olive Brown Spinner. )
  
 Middle tail less than 1/2 length of others; tail bands at middle & tip; abdominal tergites 5, 9-10 pale. .
Baetis notos  
Baetis tricaudatus
(Light Rusty Spinner; Light Blue Dun; Iron Blue Quill; Little Iron Blue Quill; Rusty Spinner; Dark Rusty Spinner; Light Rusty Spinner. )
  
 Body medium olive brown to dark olive w/faint dorsal stripe; tails: middle tail < 1/2 length others; gills veination conspicuous; rounded 7th gill. Body olive brown to dark brown; wings light to medium gray; length 8-9/4-6 mm.; 2 tails; emerges Oct15-Nov, Feb-Mar.


Taxonomic Name
(Common Name)
Larva (Nymph)Subimago (Dun)
Imago (Spinner)
Diphetor
(Blue Wing; BWO; Blue-winged Olive; Tiny Olive. )
nymph (larva) - female

Copyright © 2012 Donald S. Chandler

subimago (dun) - male

Copyright © 2010 Phil Huntley-Franck

subimago (dun) - female

Copyright © 2012 Donald S. Chandler

imago (spinner) - male

Copyright © 2011 Judy Gallagher

imago (spinner) - female

Copyright © 2012 Donald S. Chandler
DiphetorRelatively long and thin body; uniformly brown in color; bases of antennae very close together viewd straght-on; three tails of similar length; no villopore near bases of legs; gills on abdominal segments 2-7, simple. .
Diphetor hageni
(Iron Blue Qulll; Little Iron Blue Quill; Dark Brown Dun; Dark Brown Spinner. )
  
 Keeled head; relatively long and thin uniformly brown body; bases of antennae very close together viewd straght-on; ab/ segs. 4-5, 9-10 pale; single plate-like gills on ab. segs. 2-7, veinlets indistinct; middle tail greater than 3/4 length others. Body light olive to dark brown; wings gray to dark gray; length: 5-7 mm.; 2 tails; emerges mid-Mar thru Apr, Jun-mid Aug, mid-Sep thru Oct.

State of Washington distribution is based on:
Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) of the far western United States (Part I: Washington) by M. D. Meyer & W. P. McCafferty,
and augmented by A DNA Barcode Library for North American Ephemeroptera: etc. by Webb, Jacobus, Funk, et. al.  

Created: 08/16/2013   Last modified: 12/07/2014    www.FlyfishingEntomology.com