Alright you armchair entymologists...

Alright all, I took this picture of a little friend that came to visit me while I was fishing for some white bass at the local lake.

Pic was taken in south central Kansas just a couple days ago. What is it? I just called it a little black caddis and went about my business after taking pictures…

looks like a small black stone fly to me but i could be wrong.

Here’s an underneath shot…

QK,
I’m thinkin’ definitely a caddis…Looks small, like maybe a sz 16 body length? If so, & judging by the time of year I’d say it’s a Brachycentrus Occidentalis, aka Little Black Caddis/Mother’s Day Caddis. YMMV.

BTW - Great Pics!!!

Here’s an underneath shot…

The abdomen looks more like a stonefly. Are the wings held flat atop the back or in a tent shape? If the former, it’s a little winter stone. If the latter, it’s a caddis.

Wings come out of the sides. Caddis.

Chuck

Trav says a Alderfly. Not caddis. Google Alderfly and you will find a nice picture of your bug. [Trav]

Thanks, all! Guess I was headed down the right path… One of my goals this year is to keep my camera on me instead of at home. Get more bug, fish, and scenery pictures! Maybe contribute with a write-up or two.

PRM - I would say about a 16, yep.

Longs for Cutts - the wings were tent-shaped, not flat.

I agree with Alderfly.

Kelly

I think Miss Deanna and Trav might be onto something… That looks exactly like “my friend”.

Keep using big nasty words like that and you might get your mouth washed out, take care, John.

LadyFisher-

Trav says a Alderfly. Not caddis.
Trav knows his insects. Most knowledgeable fly fishers would have assumed it was a caddisfly, perhaps one on steroids.

Definitely an alderfly. The alderfly looks very much like a caddis except it doesn’t float. When it falls to the water it sinks and drowns. By the way, I think the word you’re looking for is “entomologists”. Entomology is the study of insects, etymology is the study of the origins of words. There is no such word as “entymology”.

little black stonefly, wing flat on the back stone, wings like a tent caddis.alderfly i think has fuzzy around the back of wings. here in PA we have a black and brown stone that hatch in feb. and march, they climb on snow in water fish love them. we also have a large black stone in june. that stone looks to be big for the little black stone we have here flyman 3

flyman 3…are you saying those wings are flat?:confused:

yes…but as i look at first picture they do look like they are tent like. also they have the fine hair on the ends of the wings. looked at the head saw how long it was went with that. my son came in ask him what it was took a look said black stone.over 4 weeks ago he fished creek black stone were all over water and over the snow. got to stop the bluegrass on the radio. thank you flyman 3

Alderfly,as in the link… the head is too long for a stone and the wings are wrong for a LBS. what i want to know, were the the fish eating them, that is all that matters

Alderfly
Tent Wings, no tails = Alderfly or Caddis.
Big Thorax = Alderfly

Whatever they are, they are out all over the place around here this time of year and I’ve found a black elk hair caddis does just fine as far as the fish are concerned.

Preston-- Of course “Entymology” is a word. It’s the study of words used to describe bugs :slight_smile: