Ephemerella subvaria

McDunnough, 1931

red quill, Dark Hendrickson

Ephemerella subvaria is a spiny in the . The was described by McDunnough in 1931. It is widely distributed in the eastern United States with limited occurrence in the upper Midwest. A 2019 record from Ohio represents the first state documentation, with specimens reared from collected in March to in late April.

Spiny crawler mayfly, Ephemerella subvaria by Bob Henricks. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Spiny crawler mayfly, Ephemerella subvaria (6972421609) by Bob Henricks from Charlottesville, United States. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Spiny crawler mayfly, Ephemerella subvaria (8159594646) by Bob Henricks from Charlottesville, United States. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Ephemerella subvaria: /ɛfɛmɛrˈɛlə sʌbˈværiə/

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Identification

As a member of , possesses the characteristic spiny on abdominal that distinguish this from other families. Specific identification features distinguishing E. subvaria from are not provided in available sources.

Images

Habitat

Streams in forested watersheds. The Ohio occurs in Cedar Run and the Mad River, Champaign County, within remnants of prior swamp streams in western-central Ohio. These locations are hypothesized to serve as refugia for this disjunct population.

Distribution

Eastern United States. Upper Midwest distribution limited to northern Michigan and northern Wisconsin (absent from southern counties of those states and from Illinois). Rare in Indiana and northern Kentucky. First recorded from Ohio in 2019.

Seasonality

active in early spring; has been observed in late April. In Ohio, nymphs collected March 26, 2019 produced April 27, 2019 and April 30, 2019 when reared in controlled conditions.

Life Cycle

development with aquatic nymphal stage and terrestrial stage. collected in March can be reared to adult within approximately one month under temperature-controlled conditions. Specific duration of nymphal development in natural conditions is not documented.

Human Relevance

Known among fishers as the "Dark Hendrickson," suggesting importance as a model for fishing flies. The "red quill" also indicates recognition in angling literature.

Similar Taxa

Other Ephemerella species share the spiny and require detailed examination for specific identification

More Details

Conservation significance

The Ohio may represent a relict distribution, persisting in stream remnants of a former swamp . This disjunct occurrence suggests potential vulnerability to alteration.