The Mayflies of Texas

Although the mayflies or Ephemeroptera of Texas have been historically neglected, they have received a considerable amount of attention recently. In response to this need I started a complete faunal study in the mid 1990's, and as a result many previously unknown species and new state records have been discovered. The near future outcome of this work is a complete book covering all the known mayfly fauna of Texas as well as many additional species or groups which may eventually be found within the state.

Major revisions to groups within the families Baetidae and Leptohyphidae will certainly have a significant impact on the below list.  For example, it is clearly evident that all species of Leptohyphes described from Texas are merely variants of more widespread or poorly known species (e.g. L. micheali, L. paraguttatus, L. succinus, and L. vescus), and it is also fairly evident that the characterizations established under the names Tricorythodes minutus and T. explicatus are simply two ends of a variable gradient.   The report of T. corpulentus and T. edmundsi from Texas are of a dubious nature.  Also, the near future revision of the "long-clawed" baetids (Centroptilum, Cloeon, Procloeon, and Pseudocentroptiloides) will clarify past reports and ecology of this enigmatic, but very important group of species.  In addition, the two-tailed baetid genera (Acentrella, Heterocloeon and Plauditus) will require significant changes as our understanding of these very complex groups solidifies.  Further there are still a number of undescribed species from Texas and beyond, as well as new state records in my cabinet awaiting publication which will have a significant impact on many mayfly groupings.

Below you will find a continually updated checklist of species found in Texas, formatted after the exceptionally well done lists found at Mayfly Central.

 http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/mayfly/mayfly.html.

Each specific epithet is followed by the author and an idea of the range of these species in Texas using the Biotic Provinces of Texas after Blair (1950) ["The Biotic Provinces of Texas", Texas Journal of Science].  N or SE, etc., indicates the northern part or southeastern part of the respective province. 

Aus = Austroriparian (east Texas Pineywoods, Big Thicket areas, and eastern coastal plains)

Bal = Balconian (Edwards Plateau; Balcones Escarpment including Llano uplift, central mineral area, etc.)

Chi = Chihuahuan (Trans-Pecos; Chihuahuan Desert, Davis Mountains and other ranges, Big Bend, etc.)

Kan = Kansan (Panhandle; Great Plains and Llano Estacado)

Nav = Navahonian (restricted to Guadalupe Mountains in Texas)

Tam = Tamaulipan (South Texas Valley, lower Rio Grande Drainage, lower coastal areas)

Tex = Texan (central coastal plains, central plains and grasslands)

Please fell free to send any comments or questions about mayflies or aquatic insects of Texas in general to NICK480413@aol.com .

Species List

Family Baetidae

Acentrella ampla Traver, 1932 [NW-Bal, Chi]

Acentrella insignificans (McDunnough), 1926 [Chi]

Acentrella turbida (McDunnough), 1924 [Bal, Tex]

Acerpenna akataleptos (McDunnough), 1926 [Bal]

Acerpenna pygmaea (Hagen), 1861 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tex]

Americabaetis pleturus (Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty), 1994 [Tex, Tam]

Apobaetis indeprensus Day, 1955 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tex]

Baetis adonis Traver, 1935 [Chi, Nav]

Baetis flavistriga McDunnough, 1921 [Aus, Bal, Tex]

Baetis intercalaris McDunnough, 1921 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tex]

Baetis magnus McCafferty & Waltz, 1986 [Bal, Chi]

Baetis notos Allen & Murvosh, 1987 [Bal, Chi, Nav?]

Baetis rusticans McDunnough, 1925 [Chi]

Baetodes alleni McCafferty & Provonsha, 1993 [Bal]

Baetodes bibrachius McCafferty & Provonsha, 1993 [Bal, Tam, W-Tex]

Baetodes deficiens Allen, 1972 [Bal, Tam?]

Baetodes edmundsi Koss, 1972 [Bal, Chi]

Baetodes inermis Cohen & Allen, 1972 [Bal, Chi, Tam, W-Tex]

Callibaetis californicus Banks, 1900 [Bal, Chi, Kan, Tam]

Callibaetis floridanus Banks, 1900 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tam, Tex]

Callibaetis fluctuans (Walsh), 1862 [Kan]

Callibaetis montanus Eaton, 1885 [Chi?, Nav?]

Callibaetis pictus (Eaton), 1871 [Bal, Chi, Nav]

Callibaetis pretiosus Banks, 1914 [Aus, Tex]

Callibaetis punctilusus McCafferty & Provonsha, 1993 [Bal, Tam, Tex]

Camelobaetidius mexicanus (Traver & Edmunds), 1968 [Bal ??]

Camelobaetidius variabilis Wiersema, 1998 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Camelobaetidius waltzi McCafferty, 1994 [Bal, Tex]

Centroptilum album McDunnough, 1926 [E-Bal, Tex]

Centroptilum triangulifer (McDunnough), 1931 [Aus, Tex]

Cloeodes excogitatus Waltz & McCafferty, 1987 [Chi]

Fallceon quilleri (Dodds), 1923 [Bal, Chi, Kan, Nav, Tex, Tam]

Labiobaetis dardanus McDunnough, 1923 [Aus, Bal, Tex]

Labiobaetis frondalis (McDunnough), 1925 [Aus, Tex]

Labiobaetis ephippiatus (Traver), 1935 [Aus, Tex]

Labiobaetis longipalpus (Morihara & McCafferty), 1979 [Aus, Tex]

Labiobaetis propinquus (Walsh), 1863 [Aus, Kan, Tex]

Paracloeodes minutus (Daggy), 1945 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tam, Tex]

Plauditus armillatus (McCafferty & Waltz), 1990 [Aus, Tex]

Plauditus bimaculatus (Berner), 1946 [Aus]

Plauditus dubius (Walsh), 1962 [Bal]

Plauditus futilis (McDunnough), 1931 [Bal]

Plauditus punctiventris (McDunnough), 1931 [Bal, Kan?]

Plauditus virilis (McDunnough), 1923 [Bal, Tex]

Procloeon distinctum Wiersema, 1999 [Bal]

Procloeon nelsoni Wiersema, 1999 [Bal, Tam]

Procloeon rivulare (Traver), 1935 [Bal]

Procloeon rufostrigatum (McDunnough), 1924 [Aus, Bal, Kan?, Tam, Tex]

Procloeon texanum McCafferty & Provonsha, 1993 [Tex]

Procloeon viridoculare (Berner), 1940 [Aus, E-Bal, Tex]

Pseudocentroptiloides morihari Wiersema & McCafferty, 1998 [E-Bal, Tex]

Family Baetiscidae

Baetisca obesa (Say), 1839 [Aus]

Family Caenidae

Amercaenis ridens (McDunnough), 1931 [Tex]

Bracycercus flavus, Traver 1935 [Aus]

Brachycercus maculatus Berner, 1946 [Bal, Tex]

Brachycercus prudens (McDunnough), 1931 [Bal, Chi]

Caenis amica Hagen, 1861 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tex]

Caenis bajaensis Allen & Murvosh, 1983 [Bal, Chi, Tam]

Caenis hilaris (Say), 1839 [Aus, Bal, Chi?, Kan?, Tam, Tex]

Caenis latipennis Banks, 1907 [Aus, Bal, Chi, Kan, Tam, Tex]

Caenis punctata McDunnough, 1931 [Aus, Bal, Tam?, Tex]

Family Ephemerellidae

Ephemerella dorothea Needham, 1908 [Aus, Bal?]

Eurylophella doris (Traver), 1934 [Aus]

Family Ephemeridae

Hexagenia bilineata (Say), 1824 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tex]

Hexagenia limbata (Serville), 1829 [Aus, Bal, Chi, Kan, Tam, Tex]

Pentagenia vittigera (Walsh), 1862 [Aus, Bal, Kan, Tex]

Family Heptageniidae

Heptagenia flavescens (Walsh), 1862 [Bal, Tex]

Leucrocuta maculipennis (Walsh), 1863 [Bal, Tex]

Stenocron interpunctatum (Say), 1839 [Aus, Bal, Tex]

Stenonema exiguum Traver, 1933 [Aus, Bal, Tam?, Tex]

Stenonema femoratum (Say), 1823 [Aus, Bal, Chi, Kan, Tam, Tex]

Stenonema mediopunctatum arwini Bednarik & McCafferty, 1979 [Bal]

Stenonema mexicanum integrum (McDunnough), 1926 [Aus, Bal, Tam, Tex]

Stenonema modestum (Banks), 1910 [Aus]

Stenonema terminatum terminatum (Walsh), 1862 [Aus, Bal, Tex]

Family Isonychiidae

Isonychia arida (Say), 1839 [Aus]

Isonychia georgiae McDunnough, 1931 [Aus]

Isonychia sayi Burks, 1953 [Aus, Tex]

Isonychia sicca (Walsh), 1862 [Aus, Bal, Chi, Kan, Tam, Tex]

Family Leptohyphidae

Leptohyphes succinus Allen, 1978 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Leptohyphes dolani Allen, 1967 [Tex]

Leptohyphes michaeli Allen, 1978 [Bal]

Leptohyphes mirus Allen, 1967 [Chi]

Leptohyphes packeri Allen, 1967 [Bal, Chi, Kan, Tam, Tex]

Leptohyphes paraguttatus Allen, 1978 [Tex]

Leptohyphes sabinus Traver, 1958 [Bal, Tam]

Leptohyphes vescus Allen, 1978 [Bal, Chi]

Tricorythodes alibilineatus Berner, 1946 [Aus, Bal, Tex]

Tricorythodes corpulentus Kilgore & Allen, 1973 [Bal]

Tricorythodes curvatus Allen, 1977 [Aus, Tex]

Tricorythodes dimorphus Allen, 1967 [Chi]

Tricorythodes edmundsi Allen, 1967 [Bal]

Tricorythodes explicatus (Eaton), 1892 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Tricorythodes texanus Traver, 1935 [Bal, Chi, Tam, W-Tex]

Tricorythodes minutus Traver, 1935 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Family Leptophlebiidae

Choroterpes basalis (Banks), 1900 [Aus]

Choroterpes inornata Eaton, 1892 [Chi, Nav?]

Farrodes texanus Davis, 1987 [Bal, Chi, Tex, Tam]

Leptophlebia bradleyi (Needham), 1932 [Aus, Bal]

Leptophlebia cupida (Say), 1823 [Aus]

Leptophlebia intermedia (Traver), 1932 [Aus]

Neochoroterpes kossi (Allen), 1974 [Chi]

Neochoroterpes oklahoma (Traver), 1934 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Neochoroterpes nanita (Traver), 1934 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Paraleptophlebia volitans (McDunnough), 1924 [Aus]

Thraulodes gonzalesi Traver & Edmunds, 1967 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Traverella presidiana (Traver), 1934 [Bal, Chi, Tam, Tex]

Family Oligoneuridae

Homeoneuria sp. was reported by Edmunds et al. 1958 ("North American Mayflies of the Family Oligoneuriidae", Ann. Am. Entomol. Soc. 1958 51: 375-382.) based on a single exuviae collected by Thomas Dolan IV (ANSP Biologist) from the Guadalupe River near Victoria Texas.  A single larva was also reported from the same area in an unpublished masters thesis written on a preliminary survey of the mayfly fauna of the Blanco-Guadalupe Basin.

Family Polymitarcyidae

Ephoron album (Say), 1824 [Aus]

Ephoron leukon Williamson, 1802 [Tam]

Campsurus decoloratus (Hagen), 1861 [Aus, Tam, Tex]

Tortopus circumfluus Ulmer, 1942 [Tex]

Tortopus primus (McDunnough), 1924 [Tex]

Tortopus puella (Pictet), 1843 [Aus, Tex]

Family Pseudironidae

Pseudiron centralis McDunnough, 1931 [Aus, Tex]