Subject: Stonefly?
Location: Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
April 26, 2013 3:02 pm
hi bugman!
This colourful flying insect had a collision with my brother’s mower. I think it’s a Stonefly. The closest match I’ve been able to find is Utaperla gaspesiana.
The eggbundle was attached to the insects abdomen.
Signature: Storm
Dear Storm,
While we agree that this is a Stonefly, we disagree with your species identification. While the markings on Utaperla gaspesiana as pictured on BugGuide look similar to the markings on your individual, we believe you have a Giant Stonefly in the genus Pteronarcys. We were most curious about the egg bundle, so we did some research. We located a similar photo on FlickR with the comment: “Found this on a screen door, perhaps 100 yards from a brook. Large (2″?) egg-laden female. I think it may be Pteronarcys dorsata. May 28, 2011.” The photographers, Jerry Schoen took the image in White Oaks, Williamstown, Massachusetts. That same photo can be found duplicated on numerous other websites including The River’s Calendar. The Elk River Guiding Company website also has a photo of a Stonefly with Eggs. You can read more about Giant Stoneflies on BugGuide.
Thank you for submitting your photos.
