Long-Tailed Mayfly vs Brown Drake Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Long-Tailed Mayfly Brown Drake Mayfly
Scientific Name Palingenia longicauda Ephemera simulans
Order Ephemeroptera Ephemeroptera
Family Palingeniidae Ephemeridae
Size 30-40 mm body; 60-80 mm cerci 14-20 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe North America
Conservation Vulnerable Least Concern

Long-Tailed Mayfly

The largest European mayfly with body and cerci reaching over 120 mm. Its spectacular mass hatches on the Tisza River are a famous natural phenomenon.

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Did You Know?

The annual "Tisza bloom" of this mayfly along the Tisza River lasts only a few hours but has been celebrated in Hungarian culture for generations.

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.