Dark Hendrickson Mayfly vs White Miller Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dark Hendrickson Mayfly White Miller Mayfly
Scientific Name Leptophlebia cupida Ephoron virgo
Order Ephemeroptera Ephemeroptera
Family Leptophlebiidae Polymitarcyidae
Size 8-12 mm 12-18 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Detritivores Omnivores
Regions North America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dark Hendrickson Mayfly

A dark-bodied spring mayfly important to trout anglers in the Northeast. Nymphs inhabit leaf packs and debris in slow to moderate stream sections.

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Did You Know?

It often emerges alongside Ephemerella subvaria, and the two species together form the famed Hendrickson hatch.

White Miller Mayfly

A white-bodied European mayfly that emerges in enormous synchronized swarms at dusk. Females are unique among mayflies in that they moult directly into the spinner stage.

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Did You Know?

Swarms at bridges and streetlights can be so thick they cause traffic hazards.