Heptagenia?

[wcoady]

Hello folks. I found this spinner and was wondering if it is the genus heptagenia. I’m sure it’s from the family heptageniidae. It’s body is about 13mm long. I found it by a wastewater plant about 1km from a large slow river. Location is Edmonton Alberta Canada.
Thank you.

 

[Ard]

No help from me but I'll bump the bug for others to see, come on Mayfly experts

 

[mcnerney]

I'm not a bug expert either, but looking on TroutNut it sure looks like a Hex:
Female Hexagenia limbata (Hex) Mayfly Spinner Pictures

 

[falcon53]

It may be the other "Green Drake" ... Litobrancha Recuvata that hatches much later than Ephemera Guttalata. Its sometimes referred to as the " Dark Green Drake". Just my guess from looking at the pic. A picture of the dun would be easier to identify. The spinner pictured might be too small for a Recurvata Drake which is Usually a size 12. My other guess would be one of the Cahill type mayflies (Heptagenia).

 

[dennyk]

Looks like a smaller version of these:

They were out last week while I was Smallmouth fishing. These are easily 30 mm in length. I'm pretty sure they are Hexagenia limbata or Giant Michigan Mayfly.

Denny

 

[wcoady]

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

 

[stenacron]

Two tails, wings at a 45* angle, light barring in the wings... Looks like a Stenacron (sp?) to me.

Then again, most things do.

Maybe something from the Light Cahill (common name) family.

 

[redietz]

Two tails, wings at a 45* angle, light barring in the wings... Looks like a Stenacron (sp?) to me.

Then again, most things do.

Maybe something from the Light Cahill (common name) family.

No stripes on the forelegs is a point against this.

 

[stenacron]

No stripes on the forelegs is a point against this.

Good eye Redietz, and I agree. I was purposefully vague in my answer as there are 122 species of mayflies listed for Alberta… I’m guessing that less than 1/3 of which are available to – or of interest to – trout and anglers. If there’s a chance this insect emerged from a warmwater river then all bets are off as my knowledge of insects reaches only to those available to trout and worth imitating for anglers.

Back in PA I used to fish the Delaware River quite a bit during the summer (warmwater river) and there were all kinds of mayflies hatching that I couldn’t ID. Easy to place them in a general category – Stenacron, Isonychia, etc. – but almost impossible to nail down exactly as most angler’s entomology references stick strictly to coldwater insects.

 

[Ard]

You guys are Great!

I had a very local knowledge when I lived and fished in Northcentral Pennsylvania but don't venture into these topics at this time. I was thinking of some members specifically when I bumped the thread and you didn't disappoint.

This is just another example of what makes this the best forum going!

Thank you