Trico Mayfly vs Quill Gordon Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Trico Mayfly Quill Gordon Mayfly
Scientific Name Tricorythodes stygiatus Epeorus pleuralis
Order Ephemeroptera Ephemeroptera
Family Leptohyphidae Heptageniidae
Size 3-6 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Detritivores Omnivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Trico Mayfly

A tiny mayfly that forms enormous morning spinner falls over calm streams and rivers. Males have distinctive white bodies with black thoraxes.

💡

Did You Know?

Trico spinner falls create such dense blankets of spent mayflies on the water surface that trout gorge themselves to satiation.

Quill Gordon Mayfly

A medium-sized flat-bodied mayfly that clings to rocks in fast Appalachian streams. It is one of the first major mayfly hatches of the spring season.

💡

Did You Know?

Quill Gordon nymphs have only two tails instead of the three found in most mayfly species.