Golden Stonefly

Family: Perlidae

Genus: Hesperoperla or Calineuria

Life Cycle: incomplete

Three Life Stages: egg, nymph and adult

Emergence: May-August

Nymph

Body Description

Antennae: 2 long

Eyes: 2 fair sized

Tails: 2

Wings: pads

Gills: tufts on bottom of each leg

Legs: 6 with claws on each

Abdomen: 10 segments

Body Colors: medium light tan with pale golden yellow segments – predominate on belly

Mobility: poor swimmers, must drift along the currents until they can settle on the bottom

Size: up to 1 inch, 22-38 mm

Hook Size: 6-8, 3X long

Depending on water temperature and food accessibility, they spend anywhere from 2-3 years in the nymphal stage.

Adult

Body Description

Antennae: 2 long

Eyes: 2 beady

Tails: 2

Wings: highly veined

Gills: remnants of tufts left on legs

Legs: 6 with claws on each

Abdomen: 10 segments

Body Colors: light tan body with segmentation of yellowish-gold, belly more predominately yellowish-gold

Size: up to 1 ½”–smaller than Giant Salmonflies

Hook Size: 6-8, 3X long

Mating occurs in same locations as emergence. 1-2 days after emergence the adults lay their eggs by returning to the water and contacting the surface several times briefly during the day.

The Brownstone Stonefly is similar to the Golden Stonefly but its coloration is somewhat darker with tan/cream replacing the gold.