WA Mayfly Descriptions

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Flyfishing Entomology

WA Mayfly Description

Taxonomic Name (Common Name)	Larva (Nymph)	Subimago (Dun) Imago (Spinner)
Leptophlebiidae (Prong-Gilled Mayfly )	Squat body; no gills on segment one; gills on the second abdominal segment large and oval or triangular and cover the other gills; three tails.	3 tails; no pronounced angle on fore margin of hind wings; 1 or 2 pair of main cubital intercalary veins of FWs.

Taxonomic Name
(Common Name)

Larva (Nymph)

Subimago (Dun)
Imago (Spinner)

Paraleptophlebia
(Blue Quill; Slate-winged Mahogany Dun; Dark Blue Quill; Dark Brown Spinner (f); Jenny Spinner (m); Paralep. )

mature larva (nymph)

subimago (dun) - female

imago (spinner) - male

Paraleptophlebia

Long antannae, gills on ab. seg. 1 not much narrower than 2-7, all are forked; ab.segs. w/rows of small spines along their posterior margins; 3 long tails, all similar in length.

All three tails equal in length, brown or pale in color.

Paraleptophlebia bicornuta
(Blue Dun; Dark Blue Quill; Large Slate-winged Mahogany Dun; Dark Brown Spinner. )

Branching on gills absent; conspicuous tusks; posterolateral projections on spines absent.

Body dark brown; wings dark gray; length: 9-11 mm.; 3 tails; emerges Sep-Oct.

Paraleptophlebia brunneipennis

Paraleptophlebia debilis
(Blue Dun; Dark Blue Quill; Mahogany Dun; Dark Brown Spinner. )

Trachea branching on gills absent; gills fork 1/5 from base; posterolateral projections on spines present on ab segs 8-9; frontal tusks absent.

Body: dark reddish brown Wings: dark slate Length: 9-10 mm. Tails: 3 Emergence: E,M:Aug-Sep W:Sep.

Paraleptophlebia heteronea
(Dark Blue Quill; Dark Brown Spinner; Little Western Red Quill. )

Tracheal branching on gills absent; gills fork 1/3 from base; porterolateral projections on ab seg 9; frontal tusks absent.

Body: dark slate to dark reddish brown Wings: dark slate gray Length: 7-9 mm. Tails: 3 Emergence: Jun-Aug 10.

Paraleptophlebia jenseni

Paraleptophlebia memorialis
(Dark Blue Quill; Dark Brown Spinner. )

Tracheal branching on gills absent; gills fork 1/3 from base; porterolateral projections on ab seg 9; frontal tusks absent.

Paraleptophlebia placeri

Paraleptophlebia temporalis

Paraleptophlebia vaciva

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