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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) » Furcatergalia » Scapphodonta » Ephemeroidea » Pale Burrower Mayflies (Polymitarcyidae) » Tortopsis
Photo#1292445
What's this? - Tortopsis
Copyright © 2016 jross12

What's this? - Tortopsis
Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Texas, USA
September 14, 2016
Size: (See second image)
Strange moth-like insect, with translucent wings. The wingspan was slightly over an inch; akin to a medium-sized Geometer. I didn't see any legs, but I assume they were tucked under. It was probably attracted to light. It had lots of trouble - just fluttered its wings - and could not get off the ground.

Images of this individual: tag all
What's this? - Tortopsis What's this? - Tortopsis
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Contributed by jross12 on 14 September, 2016 - 9:13pm
Last updated 15 September, 2016 - 3:21pm

Moved
Moved from Mayflies.
… Roger Rohrbeck, 14 September, 2016 - 11:29pm login or register to post comments

Tortopsis
Hi jross12-

I believe this to be a female imago to be of genus Tortopsis.
… Roger Rohrbeck, 14 September, 2016 - 11:28pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you
Thanks for your help. I would never have narrowed it down in a million years.

I guess these aren't clear-cut and well-defined? I'm used to moths where you can go straight to the species and get a clear, specific ID. These seem vague in comparison.
… jross12, 15 September, 2016 - 2:58pm login or register to post comments

 
IDing Winged Mayflies
If one has a decent macro photo of a winged mayfly, it is usually possible to identify it to genus level, and occasionally to species level.
… Roger Rohrbeck, 15 September, 2016 - 3:20pm login or register to post comments

 
My submitted images are fairly large..
(1774x1321) resolution for the main image. That's certainly much higher resolution than I usually provide.
… jross12, 15 September, 2016 - 3:23pm login or register to post comments

 
Your photo was fine.
Your photo was fine. My point was, even with a decent macro photo, more often than not, a winged mayfly cannot be identified beyond genus level from it.
… Roger Rohrbeck, 15 September, 2016 - 8:33pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… metrioptera, 14 September, 2016 - 9:21pm login or register to post comments

 
Hmmm,
it looked nothing like mayflies I've seen. For one thing, it would be huge in comparison. It didn't look like it would fold its wings up either, like mayflies. It also didn't have the long "tail" appendages.
… jross12, 14 September, 2016 - 9:25pm login or register to post comments

 
Reminds me of this one...


...which is nearly an inch long, with very short cerci (tails).

The experts will let us know if I'm anywhere close. :)
… Ken Wolgemuth, 14 September, 2016 - 9:47pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
I noticed that image too, after a search of Texas entries. The cerci in my picture are even shorter than the one above.
… jross12, 14 September, 2016 - 10:27pm login or register to post comments

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