Brown Drake Mayfly vs Quill Gordon Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown Drake Mayfly Quill Gordon Mayfly
Scientific Name Ephemera simulans Epeorus pleuralis
Order Ephemeroptera Ephemeroptera
Family Ephemeridae Heptageniidae
Size 14-20 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brown Drake Mayfly

A large brownish mayfly with mottled wings that produces dramatic evening hatches on trout streams. Nymphs burrow in sandy and silty streambeds.

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Did You Know?

Brown drake hatches occur over just a few days each year, creating some of the most spectacular dry-fly fishing of the season.

Quill Gordon Mayfly

A medium-sized flat-bodied mayfly that clings to rocks in fast Appalachian streams. It is one of the first major mayfly hatches of the spring season.

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Did You Know?

Quill Gordon nymphs have only two tails instead of the three found in most mayfly species.