identify this bug

[jburge]

So I'm at one of my favorite canyon streams, and this is the second time I've seen lots of these guys flying around. You can see the size compared to my index finger, and the color is almost a translucent blue. Any ideas? I wish the macro were better, I didn't have time to get it set up correctly before he took off:





I also brought my strainer along and found this guy while filtering through some rocks and gravel. My books tell me this is a stonefly nymph, right?



Notice his buddy to the right:



Looking for freedom:

[WT]

The first bug looks like some sort of Midge, and on the second bug you are correct it is a stonefly.... golden stonefly to be exact

[jburge]

Thanks, WT. From everything I've found so far (which isn't exhaustive), I thought the little bugger was a midge. And there were stonefly nymphs everywhere. Makes me want to spend a couple of days just catching bugs and taking pictures.

[jbird]

those things are really abundant in the fall in southern oregon. On warm afternoons, theres clouds of them. They arent waterborne. they are thick everywhere, from down town, to my neighborhood, to the river. When you see them with the sun behind them, they look white, like snow suspended in the air. I dont know what they are but I call them white gnats. I have never heard of trout keying on them.
Jay

[Tracy Chimenti]

I think the little bugger is a syrphid-- a small bee/wasp guy. A beneficial bug. They eat, kill, and/or parasitize scale, aphids, and other undesireable garden and farm pests. They also assist in pollination and since the honey bees are on the decline, we need to take care of them, so plant some native flowering plants! I hope you didn't hurt the little guy. We could lose the whole cherry crop!!

[Kevin Goding]

Hmm, the first insect does look like some kind of midge. Not very familiar with the adults, if it was a larva and aquatic could definitely tell you more. The second is definitely a stonefly as mentioned by someone above. From the photo I'm guessing the genus [ICalineuria[/I], but there are a few others in CA depending on what stream you are in, and you'd need a microscope to tell.

Syrphid flies are "hover" flies, but are beneficial as their larva are voracious aphid predators. There are some midges that do the same as well though, and in a somewhat interesting manner. They tend to paralyze the aphids and eat them at their leisure, where as the syrphids just crawl around and eat them alive.