red mayfly

ironbluedun

heard talk (dont know if true or not) about an insect similar in appearance to the mayfly hatching on conn and corrib. supposed to be some sort of Ephemeroptera (up-winged fly) except this 'mayfly' for want of a better name, is a scarlet red in colour!! and is similar in size to our common mayfly (Ephemera dancia) i have not seen one but some believe that this is a new invasive species!
anyone else hear anything about this? they were supposed to be hatching in july and early august but not hatching in great numbers. now i know that E dancia can hatch again in late summer when a smaller second brood appear, but these are supposed to be totally different in colour and not at all the same. Anyone???

wgsten

I have not heard anything about this as yet. I was over in Mayo at the start of the month and there was Mayfly hatching on Lough Muck they were definitely Ephemera danica. I will be over there again next week and i will make enquiries about these "Mayflies".
wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/

Rycn

They should call it redius wulffius imo :pac:

coolwings

This time of year, sounds like the Heatherfly which is not an upwing. If it is an upwing I'd like to see a photo.
Heather Fly:

The species on lough Conn are much redder than the photo above, almost scarlet.
which I use a dry bloody butcher to represent

The silver body is an accurate copy of sunshine reflecting off the smooth body of the natural, and a lot more visible than black as used by the Bibio.
Old anglers used the Teal and Red tied dry to represent the Heather fly.

But if it is described as an upwing fly, what could it be?
The spinner of the lake olive or a Claret Dun

Claret Dun (Lake Olive spinner is more chestnut coloured)

fisherking

try a size 12 cardinal...

ironbluedun

coolwings wrote: »

This time of year, sounds like the Heatherfly which is not an upwing. If it is an upwing I'd like to see a photo.

The species on lough Conn are much redder than the photo above, almost scarlet.

But if it is described as an upwing fly, what could it be?
The spinner of the lake olive or a Claret Dun

Claret Dun (Lake Olive spinner is more chestnut coloured)

Thanks for the constructive replies but not a spinner it was a dun. I think definitely not a heather fly and certainly not the claret dun (Leptophlebia vespertina) their hatch is very localised on limestone lakes, only really in areas of peat bed, bog bays etc. This ‘new fly’ was supposed to be more widespread, but not in great numbers, sparse. And definitely not the lake olive (Cloeon simile). I was told is was a large scarlet red coloured up-winged fly so forget about the more common recorded up-winged flies, terrestrials, sedges etc. Originally when I heard the story I though of Leptophlebia marginata but according to the expert entomologists these are very rare in Ireland so I don’t think so. Then the August Dun Ecdyonurus dispar, but previously these were rare and not red in colour! hard to know might be some of the summer mayflies Siphlonurus alternatus ( formerly named Siphlonurs Linnaeannus), Siphlonurus lacustris, Siphlonurus armatus, Ameletus inopinatus but again they are quite rare (Siphlonurus alternatus is present in parts of eastern Lough Corrib) And not a Baetidae as they are only found in flowing water. It might be a previously recorded up-winged fly that was either very rare or believed to be extinct and is making a form of a ‘come back’, some of the above maybe, but with water condition now I doubt it. if true more like an invasive species. Anyone else know anything?

ironbluedun

wgsten wrote: »

I have not heard anything about this as yet. I was over in Mayo at the start of the month and there was Mayfly hatching on Lough Muck they were definitely Ephemera danica. I will be over there again next week and i will make enquiries about these "Mayflies".
wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/

No not supposed to be E dancia. the E dancia will emerge again in late July and early August with a second brood, there has been a hatch of E dancia on several loughs over the last few weeks. try and find out what you can.

wgsten

ironbluedun wrote: »

No not supposed to be E dancia. the E dancia will emerge again in late July and early August with a second brood, there has been a hatch of E dancia on several loughs over the last few weeks. try and find out what you can.

There was some E danica on the Liffey in the past few weeks, not in big numbers. I am interested in finding out more about this red fly. Can you say where you heard the reports from or who from? If i get any info while i am over there i will post it here.
wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/

ironbluedun

wgsten wrote: »

Can you say where you heard the reports from or who from?
]

several different lough Conn anglers......they may well have stopped hatching by now, it might be a while before info can be gathered.

coolwings

Not being smart ... but would these anglers know what a heather fly from that locality looks like? Because the mid summer is exactly when those appear, and the Lough Conn heather flies are bright red against shiny black.

Nothing would be better than a photo ....

ironbluedun

coolwings wrote: »

Not being smart ... but would these anglers know what a heather fly from that locality looks like? Because the mid summer is exactly when those appear, and the Lough Conn heather flies are bright red against shiny black.

Nothing would be better than a photo ....

i would imagine so...if an experienced angler doesnt know the difference between a heather fly and a mayfly then they really should take up bowls..............from what i know of the heather fly (which is not much) they are a land borne and emerge from around the roots of vegetation and do not emerge from the water like up-winged flies do......??????

coolwings

ironbluedun wrote: »

........from what i know of the heather fly (which is not much) they are a land borne and emerge from around the roots of vegetation and do not emerge from the water like up-winged flies do......??????

Spot on. They are a terrestrial that gets blown onto the water on the upwind side of lakes. Highly favoured by trout in the mountain lakes ,heather flies, and beetles too!

It will be interesting to see what further info you turn up about the upwing red flies. Let us know.

wgsten

ironbluedun wrote: »

several different lough Conn anglers......they may well have stopped hatching by now, it might be a while before info can be gathered.

Thanks ironbluedun, I will try get to talk to some anglers while i am over there and if i hear anything positive like location of the hatches and if they are silll occuring i will try to collect a specimen and or photo.
wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/

Auldloon

Any developments? I'm very interested to hear more.

ironbluedun

Chuileog wrote: »

Any developments? I'm very interested to hear more.

no they probably have stopped emerging now......so it could be a long time (next season, or even the following one) before any more developments.

wgsten

I am just back from Mayo and having spoke to several anglers i am still none the wiser. None of the people i asked about the red mayfly had even heard about it. Most of them do fish on Lough Conn. I will have to wait until i hear more reports maybe next year.
wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/