Olive Drake Mayfly vs Angler's Curse Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Olive Drake Mayfly Angler's Curse Mayfly
Scientific Name Ephemera lineata Caenis rivulorum
Order Ephemeroptera Ephemeroptera
Family Ephemeridae Caenidae
Size 15-22 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Detritivores Detritivores
Regions North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Olive Drake Mayfly

A large burrowing mayfly with distinctive mottled brown wings. Nymphs excavate U-shaped burrows in sandy stream bottoms.

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Did You Know?

Mass emergences at dusk can be so dense they appear on weather radar.

Angler's Curse Mayfly

A tiny mayfly nicknamed for frustrating anglers who cannot imitate it on hook. Nymphs burrow in fine sediments of slow rivers and streams.

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Did You Know?

At just a few millimeters long, trout feed on them voraciously but anglers struggle to tie flies small enough to match.