Olive Drake Mayfly vs Brown Drake Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Olive Drake Mayfly Brown Drake Mayfly
Scientific Name Ephemera lineata Ephemera simulans
Order Ephemeroptera Ephemeroptera
Family Ephemeridae Ephemeridae
Size 15-22 mm 14-20 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Detritivores Omnivores
Regions North America North America
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.

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.