This aquatic insect was captured late this afternoon (Tuesday) in a butterfly net from a fishing pier at a city park on Lake Washington. It was captured immediately after emerging as it and flew up to approximately 5 feet off the water's surface. As can be seen in the 1st photo, its body length was ~4 mm (~1/6"). The photos were taken via a USB digital camera mounted on the trinocular port of my stereo microscope. Can you identify it by any of the following: Order common name Order taxonomic name Family common name Family taxonomic name Genus common name Genus taxonomic name Lifestage Sex
I'm glad I'm not a "bug guy" where I have to take pictures of every stinkin' bug I find. It's a piddling little white mayfly that's probably too hard to tie or fish. <do not overlook the smiley> There, my guess is stinkin' little white mayfly that's too small to tie and too hard to fish. There was a picture of a little sulfur posted here I think within the last 4 months. It also was a 4mm one and I wondered why the local sulfurs were so small. I see the last little white mayfly was a three tailed one. Guess these aren't related.
hi zen leecher, Yes, that would certainly be pathetic; just count your blessings. Perhaps, but some fly fishers like the challenge of catching a nice fish on a size #24 imitation. Well, I would consider them be related, but in a different family. IDENTIFICATIONS Order common name: Mayfly (zen leecher) Order taxonomic name: ??? Family common name: ??? Family taxonomic name: ??? Genus common name: ??? Genus taxonomic name: ??? Lifestage: ??? Sex: ???
hi zen leecher- No, it is not of genus Tricorythodes, which have (3) tails in their winged lifestages. Hint: eyes.
IDENTIFICATIONS Order common name: Mayfly (zen leecher) Order taxonomic name: Ephemeroptera Family common name: Blue wing olive Family taxonomic name: Heptagenioidae Genus common name: Pseudocloeon Genus taxonomic name: propinquum Lifestage: sub-imago Sex: female
Hi Bob, Ephemeroptera is correct. Blue-winged Olive is correct. Don't believe Heptagenioidae is a valid taxonomic name, and if you meant Heptageniidae, that is not correct. Neither Pseudocloeon nor propinquun are correct. However that's in the correct family. IDENTIFICATIONS Order common name: Mayfly (zen leecher) Order taxonomic name: Ephemeroptera (Bob Newman) Family common name: ??? Family taxonomic name: ??? Genus common name: Tiny Bluewinged Olive (Bob Newman/Taxon) Genus taxonomic name: ??? Lifestage: ??? Sex: ???
Hmm, was this one too difficult? IDENTIFICATIONS Order common name: Mayfly (zen leecher) Order taxonomic name: Ephemeroptera (Bob Newman) Family common name: Small Swimmer Mayfly (Taxon) Family taxonomic name: Baetidae (Taxon) Genus common name: Tiny Bluewinged Olive (Bob Newman/Taxon) Genus taxonomic name: Centroptilum (Taxon) Species taxonomic name: conturbatum (Taxon) Lifestage: subimago (Taxon) Sex: male (Taxon)
Hi Matt, Hi Matt, The compound eyes of the winged lifestages of males of family Baetidae are unique in that each of their two compound eyes are composed of two elements, a lower element which is black in this photo, and an upper "turbinate" element which is mounted on a stalk, although the stalk itself is not is obvious on this genus.
