Lisa included this quick note with her three photos, “Went to the swinging bridge up Rock Creek. Salmon Fly hatch was going crazy!” What an amazing event to witness! The other common name, which Lisa and many anglers use, refers to the pinkish color of freshly emerged adults. Members of the family (Pteronarcyidae) often have gray to black bodies with bright orange markings on their thoraxes. Most nymphs are “shredders” of decaying leaves in rivers and streams. The adults do not feed.
Size: Adult length 25-60 mm for Giant Stonefly family (Pteronarcyidae)
Photo by: Lisa Ann Cloo on 6/8/22 near Clinton, MT