33 replies to this topic

[troutdogg]

OK, here's a bit of Mayfly trivia - Which USA State has the most ever recorded Mayfly Species (171 to date). Lets see how everyone answers and then I'll inform after seven days of polling.......

Happy Trivia!

[Taxon]

Troutdogg,


As of Dr. John P. (Pat) Randolph's Doctoral Dissertation in 2002, when he was still at Mayfly Central, the state with the most recorded mayfly species had (177) species, and is not even on your list. Please PM me, and tell me the source of your information.

[troutdogg]

Troutdogg,


As of Dr. John P. (Pat) Randolph's Doctoral Dissertation in 2002, when he was still at Mayfly Central, the state with the most recorded mayfly species had (177) species, and is not even on your list. Please PM me, and tell me the source of your information.

Taxon,

If his data has been listed as official and confirmed I will add the state to the list since it is a bit higher than the one I have data on. Please PM me and include a link to any data pertaining to his findings.

[Taxon]

Troutdogg,


As of Dr. John P. (Pat) Randolph's Doctoral Dissertation in 2002, when he was still at Mayfly Central, the state with the most recorded mayfly species had (177) species, and is not even on your list. Please PM me, and tell me the source of your information.

Taxon,

If his data has been listed as official and confirmed I will add the state to the list since it is a bit higher than the one I have data on. Please PM me and include a link to any data pertaining to his findings.

Well, it was the basis for his doctorate. As to complete, I'm afraid that is a somewhat elusive goal, as new records are being added all the time. For instance, new records were added several years ago for WA by Meyer & McCafferty, and it nearly doubled the number of species listed for WA. Pat's mayfly records are simply the most complete I have been able to find for all states and provinces. It has taken a lot of work to put them in a database in usable form, and update them for taxonomic change, etc. An extract of Pat's dissertation is hosted on BugLab. My distribution query can be accessed at NA Mayfly Distribution Query. And, here is a link to NA Mayfly Species Query, which will allow you to query on almost anything.

[BigDaddyHub]

If I may take a SWAG at it, I'd vote for New York. NY State has some terrific hatches of a whole plethera of species. Just a guess.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer]

not sure about other states but I know michigan has around 164 species from 18 families here is a link http://www.npwrc.usg...mfly/mi/toc.htm

[Taxon]

Okay, after adjusting my numbers by eliminating subspecies, and adding back in recently extinct species, I've got two states in a tie for 1st with 167 each. Frankly, it really is a moving target.

[JSzymczyk]

"subspecies" ....

[Taxon]

"subspecies" ....

Please permit me to explain. Mayfly Central, which is the recognized authority on mayfly taxonomy in N. America, maintains the list of current N. American species. However, in cases where there is a recognized subspecies, it is listed at that level, rather than at the species level. For example, it lists both Callibaetis ferrugineus ferrugineus (a northeastern subspecies) and Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni (a western subspecies), but does not list Callibaetis ferrugineus. As a result, when one wants to count only valid species, it becomes necessary to eliminate both of the above subspecies, and add only a single species. The N. American Species List can be accessed by clicking here.

[smallieFanatic]

Well, lets hear the answer! Personally I voted Michigan.

[Chase Creek]

Don't know about the number of different species, but a few years ago here in parts of Toledo (on Lake Erie) the store owners had to shovel them off the sidewalks so thier customers could get to the door. If you used an ATM after dark, you had to brush them off the keypad so you could see the numbers. That's not an exaggeration.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer]

Funny you mentioned that Chase in Tawas the mayfly hatch was caught on Doppler weather radar a few times

[troutdogg]

OK, here's the answer ..........

New York State with a total of 171 Mayfly with ME coming in second with 164!

[JSzymczyk]

"subspecies" ....

Please permit me to explain. Mayfly Central, which is the recognized authority on mayfly taxonomy in N. America, maintains the list of current N. American species. However, in cases where there is a recognized subspecies, it is listed at that level, rather than at the species level. For example, it lists both Callibaetis ferrugineus ferrugineus (a northeastern subspecies) and Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni (a western subspecies), but does not list Callibaetis ferrugineus. As a result, when one wants to count only valid species, it becomes necessary to eliminate both of the above subspecies, and add only a single species. The N. American Species List can be accessed by clicking here.

I know. Being a long-time lepidoptera guy (and also "serious amateur" herpetology guy), I have come to find the concept of subspecies to be, well, maybe not exactly a load of crap, but quite often simply a means for professional biologists to justify their jobs.

My overwhelming case-in-point, Homo sapiens. If we apply the SCIENCE of cladistics and systematics to our own species the way we do to everything else, we'd have at least 5 subspecies. But NOOOOOO!!!! that would be politically incorrect. Meanwhile, every time someone at a university swings a net at a Tiger Swallowtail in someone else's back yard, they describe it as a subspecies. If we can't apply the theory across the biological realm, what good is it? I have been ANGRILY rebuked in public by Piled-higher and Deeper brainiacs for bringing up this very topic. Good fun, every time~!

[smallieFanatic]

"subspecies" ....

Please permit me to explain. Mayfly Central, which is the recognized authority on mayfly taxonomy in N. America, maintains the list of current N. American species. However, in cases where there is a recognized subspecies, it is listed at that level, rather than at the species level. For example, it lists both Callibaetis ferrugineus ferrugineus (a northeastern subspecies) and Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni (a western subspecies), but does not list Callibaetis ferrugineus. As a result, when one wants to count only valid species, it becomes necessary to eliminate both of the above subspecies, and add only a single species. The N. American Species List can be accessed by clicking here.

I know. Being a long-time lepidoptera guy (and also "serious amateur" herpetology guy), I have come to find the concept of subspecies to be, well, maybe not exactly a load of crap, but quite often simply a means for professional biologists to justify their jobs.

My overwhelming case-in-point, Homo sapiens. If we apply the SCIENCE of cladistics and systematics to our own species the way we do to everything else, we'd have at least 5 subspecies. But NOOOOOO!!!! that would be politically incorrect. Meanwhile, every time someone at a university swings a net at a Tiger Swallowtail in someone else's back yard, they describe it as a subspecies. If we can't apply the theory across the biological realm, what good is it? I have been ANGRILY rebuked in public by Piled-higher and Deeper brainiacs for bringing up this very topic. Good fun, every time~!

Yes, going against the flow can be fun