Giant Michigan Mayfly vs Dark Hendrickson Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Michigan Mayfly Dark Hendrickson Mayfly
Scientific Name Hexagenia bilineata Leptophlebia cupida
Order Ephemeroptera Ephemeroptera
Family Ephemeridae Leptophlebiidae
Size 18-28 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Detritivores Detritivores
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Michigan Mayfly

A large burrowing mayfly with two dark stripes on its thorax. Nymphs dig into soft clay and silt bottoms of large rivers.

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Did You Know?

Mass emergences along the Great Lakes have caused road closures due to the slippery accumulation of millions of dead adults.

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.