Help ID lake bug?

Flymph · Apr 28, 2022

Sorry, I have no pictures after futile attempts to capture these bugs. I will do my best to describe. Up to an inch or so in length with a small forked tail. Bugs were suspended a foot to three foot off the bottom in about 4 feet of water. Slender body that curved slightly as they moved very slowly (almost motionless) through the water column. Light olive in color which seemed odd to me as they stuck out like a soar thumb over a dark lake bottom??? Even as I tried to net them they move very slowly like floating in air. I thought they were big scuds until what looked to be a long, slender, wing, would flick up, away from their body at times.

I know scuds, dragon nymphs, and, damsel nymphs, when I see them and these particular bugs were none of the above. Any ideas?

Taxon · Apr 28, 2022

Hi Flymph-

Which of these did it most look like?

Flymph · Apr 28, 2022

Taxon said:
Hi Flymph-

Which of these did it most look like?

Thanks Taxon. Unfortunately, none of these. The most interesting feature was the slender, body-length, wing that occasionally flicked upward. Without this wing the bug most resembles a large scud.

Stonedfish · Apr 28, 2022

Waterboatmen?
SF

Taxon · Apr 28, 2022

Flymph said:
Thanks Taxon. Unfortunately, none of these. The most interesting feature was the slender, body-length, wing that occasionally flicked upward. Without this wing the bug most resembles a large scud.

Okay, how about these?

Flymph · Apr 28, 2022

Stonedfish said:
Waterboatmen?
SF

Waterboatmen dive by flicking wings outward away from body. This bug only occasionally flicked its long wing upward from its body.

Flymph · Apr 28, 2022

Taxon said:
Okay, how about these?

Thanks again but my bug had a body-length wing that only occasionally flicked its wing upward. I have seen the rowing type motion of water boatman diving about.

Long_Rod_Silvers · Apr 28, 2022

Where (generally) did you see these mysterious creatures? PNW?

Flymph · Apr 28, 2022

NCW Lake.

Mark Melton · Apr 30, 2022

It's a long shot but could it be a species of Sialis? It's known to congregate in the water column and the gills on the sides could be mistaken for a wing.

Sialis sp.

Millcreek posted: This species, Sialis, also known as an alderfly, was identified to genus using Merritt, Cummins And Berg. There is no key to the California species of Sialis la...

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alderfly larvae - Google Search