Long-tailed Skipper vs Brown Drake Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Long-tailed Skipper Brown Drake Mayfly
Scientific Name Urbanus proteus Ephemera simulans
Order Lepidoptera Ephemeroptera
Family Hesperiidae Ephemeridae
Size 43-55 mm wingspan 14-20 mm
Habitat Farmland Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Southern United States through Central and South America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Long-tailed Skipper

A striking skipper with iridescent blue-green body and wing bases and long tail-like projections on the hindwings. It is a strong flier and occasional migrant.

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Did You Know?

Known as the bean leaf roller because the caterpillar folds bean leaves into tubular shelters.

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.