Thursday, June 1, 2017

"Common," but still a beautiful stonefly: Eccoptura xanthenses


We're on a mission at the moment: to find a mature -- better yet, an adult -- Isoperla sp. VA.  This one.



That photo was taken on May 18, 2011 -- fully mature, so we've been looking since the beginning of May.  So far, no luck.  We've found some nymphs, just nothing close to mature.  Still we push on since we have the best chance to find a specimen that would allow entomologists to make a species ID.  Stay tuned.
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But I got some photos today that I feel are worth posting.

1. The common stonefly (Perlidae), Eccoptura xanthenses (photo at the top of the page).  Prefers the small mountain streams we explore in Sugar Hollow, in fact it's the only Perlid we find in the stream that we went to today.



2. Cordulegaster- a "spiketail" dragonfly.  Also seems to prefer these small mountain streams.




3. And the tiny flatheaded mayfly that we find in these streams at this time of year: Leucrocuta sp. (juno?)

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Hope to peek at the Rapidan River this weekend.

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