Trout-food
Guides
Drunella
Blue-winged Olives, Spiny Crawler Mayflies
Drunella is a genus of spiny crawler mayflies in the family Ephemerellidae, comprising at least 20 described species. These mayflies are aquatic insects with nymphs that inhabit stream environments and are significant components of freshwater food webs. Adults are important to fly fishermen, who commonly refer to them as "Blue-winged Olives" and imitate them with artificial flies. Some species, such as Drunella grandis (the green drake), are particularly valued as trout food sources.
Drunella grandis
Western Green Drake, Green Drake, Spinner Green Drake
Drunella grandis is a species of spiny crawler mayfly in the family Ephemerellidae. It is commonly known as the Western Green Drake among fly fishermen, who highly value this species for its importance as a trout food source. The species is native to North America and has been documented with three recognized subspecies. Adults are notable for their large size and greenish coloration, making them a prominent feature of western North American streams.
Ephemera guttulata
Eastern Green Drake, Shad Fly, Coffinfly
Ephemera guttulata, commonly known as the eastern green drake, is a burrowing mayfly species native to eastern North America. It is one of the largest mayfly species in the region and is highly significant to fly fishing, where its emergence events are eagerly anticipated. The species has a fully aquatic larval stage, followed by a winged subimago (dun) stage and a short-lived sexually mature adult (imago) stage. Its conservation status is G5 (secure) according to NatureServe.
Ephemera simulans
Brown Drake
Ephemera simulans is a burrowing mayfly species in the family Ephemeridae, commonly known as the Brown Drake. It is widely distributed across North America, particularly common in the Rocky Mountains, Midwest, and Great Lakes region. The species is economically significant in recreational fly fishing, where both nymph and adult stages are imitated with artificial flies. Nymphs inhabit sand and silt substrates of lakes and streams, emerging as adults primarily at night from mid-June to mid-July.
Ephemerella dorothea infrequens
Pale Morning Dun
Ephemerella dorothea infrequens is a subspecies of mayfly in the family Ephemerellidae, commonly known as the Pale Morning Dun. It is an aquatic insect whose nymphal stage inhabits freshwater environments. The species is recognized as an important food source for trout and is frequently imitated by fly fishers using artificial flies. It was described by McDunnough in 1924 and is accepted as a valid subspecies within the Ephemerella dorothea complex.
Ephemerella excrucians
Pale Morning Dun
Ephemerella excrucians, commonly known as the pale morning dun, is a species of spiny crawler mayfly in the family Ephemerellidae. It is distributed across all of Canada and the continental United States. The species is of particular interest to fly fishers due to its importance as a trout food source and its frequent use as a model for artificial flies.
Siphlonurus quebecensis
early brown quill mayfly, gray drake
Siphlonurus quebecensis is a species of primitive minnow mayfly in the family Siphlonuridae. It occurs in North America and is known to anglers as the 'early brown quill' or 'gray drake,' a name reflected in fly-fishing patterns designed to imitate its adult form. The species is part of a group of mayflies whose aquatic nymphs and winged adults serve as important prey for trout and other sport fish.