Welcome to NEFF

Sign up for a new account today, or log on with your old account!

Give us a try!

Welcome back to the new NEFF. Take a break from Twitter and Facebook. You don't go to Dicks for your fly fishing gear, you go to your local fly fishing store. Enjoy!

Few photo changes / ento pics

dcabarle

Administrator
After looking around at a few recent pics I posted, it's been determined that the two following Mayfly's are not Paraleps at all but are in fact Ephemerella Needhami.

If you see something that doesn't look right, please bring it to my attention so I can make sure the information I'm providing to you is accurate. The Ephemerella in the top photo only has two tails, this is because one fell off.

These are the images I will change:

418padoptiva2-1.jpg


and

418padoptiva-1.jpg


So why the sudden change? For one, the the hind wing on the Paraleps is an oval shaped wing while the Ephemerella has more of a diamond shape to it. Other indications are the legs on the Needhami are a pale yellowish color while the Paraleps legs are not so pale and more on the brownish side. Both insects have 3 tails. Notice the colors in both photo's are different. This is simply due to lighting. The bottom photo more accurately describes the Needhami.

Anyhow, Sorry for the confussion. Quack / Honk... it's all good! :) Now I've gotta stop putting the names on the photo's... That's going to be a pain in the ass to change. :eek:
 
Dennis

Very good observation.With regards to Mayfly identification color is a small part of it,and the 2 or 3 tails will get you into the ball park,but its the wings and hind wings that will tell the story.

Quick quiz-Which genera can have 2 or 3 tails and has a dwarfed hind wing??
 
{From Fly Fisherman Magazine}The Ephemerella needhami is another late-summer hatch imitated by #22-28 mayfly patterns with a chocolate-brown body and smoky-dun wings. A favorite local adult pattern is tied with a dark dun CDC wing, a chocolate-brown body, and a thread tail. According to Dave Goulet, the Farmington’s E. needhami seem to be much smaller than those found on other rivers, which may be caused by the Farmington’s cool water temperatures. E. needhami can appear on the water until September.
...........

Size does matter.

What was the size of your sample? BQ's are usually 18-20.

From the text above Needhami's would be smaller than that.
 
The species Needhami are typically 6-8 mm long which is a size 16/18.(Ref.-Mayflies-by knopp and Cormier, Hathces 11 by Al Caucci.

The 20-28 seems very small to me.While it possible that they are 20-28, its also possible that the Mayflies where actually Lata's or Deficiens which closely resemble the needhami.

I cannot see the hind wings of the second photo,but the one on top is not a paraleps.

Its quite easy to make an error with regards to species ID,while family and genera identificaton is quite simple.

Blue quills are typically 16/18.20's are typically seen torward the latter part of the hatch.

Speaking of blue quills,I had quite a few 16's in my hand this past week or so.


Fishing has been great.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top