Taeniopteryx nebulosa L. - February Red
Phylum: Arthropoda - Class: Insecta - Order: Plecoptera - Family: Taeniopterygidae
Although the first few specimens appear in February, this really is an insect of spring and is most abundant in March and April. Unlike most stoneflies, which are fast water species, the February Red is mainly found on slow-flowing lowland streams.
Anglers use spider flies, as they are called, to imitate these slim-line insects. Good patterns for stonefly imitation include Snipe and Purple and Partridge and Orange. The former is a particularly effective imitation of the February Red.
This stonefly was described scientifically in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, who gave it the binomial name Nemoura nebulosa.
Synonyms of Taeniopteryx nebulosa include Nemoura minuta Rambur, Nemoura nebulosa L., Nemoura nigripes Zetterstedt, Nemoura socia Rambur, and Nephelopteryx angarensis Zapekina-Dulkeit.
References
Pryce, D., Macadam, C., & Brooks, S. (2007) Guide to the British Stonefly (Plecoptera) Families: adults and larvae. Taunton: Field Studies Council.
Hynes, H.B.N. (1977) Adults and Nymphs of British Stoneflies (Plecoptera). Ambleside: Freshwater Biological Association.
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