do all mayflies have tails?

[Addict 0]

I was on the river the other day and saw what I believe to be a mayfly. The wings were clear and the exact same shape as a mayflys but they had no tails. The body was a dark grey with an olive-brown underbody. They were about a size 22-24. What are these? Sorry I don't have a picture. This was in SE Idaho.

 

Addict

[Alex C. 0]

Maybe some little boy ripped them off

[appalachian angler (tn.) 0]

Probably Baetis spinners(dead spinners often lose tails, legs) also may be known as "blue wing olive spinners"

 

AA

[Taxon 0]

QUOTE (Addict @ May 31 2005, 12:23 PM)

I was on the river the other day and saw what I believe to be a mayfly. The wings were clear and the exact same shape as a mayflys but they had no tails. The body was a dark grey with an olive-brown underbody. They were about a size 22-24. What are these? Sorry I don't have a picture. This was in SE Idaho. Addict

Addict-

 

Have never come across any information concerning mayflies without tails, and would expect to have, if that condition exists. So I would conclude, it is one of the following, listed in order of declining probability:

 

1) The tails were somehow broken off during the transition to subimago or imago, or

 

2) the tails were so thin on a mayfly so small, that you couldn't see them without magnification, or

 

3) there weren't any tails, and it was an insect that (sort of) resembled a mayfly.

 

Would be most interested in seeing a photo.

[Mike the fly guy 0]

I have never seen one!~ sounds like a spinner.

[rougetrout 0]

Spinners often dry up and start to fall apart as they come down to the water. So far there haven't been anymay flies found without tails, they are used to classify specific species and genre of the bugs.

[JasonN 0]

Short answer: all mayflies do have tails, either 2 or 3.

 

Many of them can lose their tails incidentally, just because they're very fragile. That may be what you saw. Or perhaps you mistook a very small stonefly for a mayfly.