Burrowing Mayflies

Ephemeridae

Burrowing Mayflies are special insects that spend most of their lives underwater as tiny larvae. They come out of the water to fly for just a short time, making them unique and interesting to watch!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Burrowing Mayflies has a slender, often drab brown or grey body with two or three long, delicate tail filaments. Its larvae are easily distinguished by their large, feathery gills along the abdomen, designed for life underground.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderEphemeropteraFamilyEphemeridae

Burrowing Mayflies

Interesting facts

Adult mayflies have no mouths or stomachs; their only job is to mate!

Mayfly larvae are like tiny natural pollution detectors for healthy rivers!

Some mayfly larvae build elaborate, silk-lined tunnels deep under riverbeds!

They are one of Earth's oldest insect groups, flying for over 300 million years!

Special abilities

Burrowing Mayflies can dig U-shaped tunnels using strong mandibles, which helps them find shelter and food safely in riverbeds.

Burrowing Mayflies have large, feathery abdominal gills that help them breathe efficiently even in low-oxygen water within burrows.

Burrowing Mayflies can emerge in massive, synchronized swarms, which helps overwhelm predators and ensure successful mating.

Burrowing Mayflies have a unique winged subimago stage, which helps them complete a final molt before becoming fully reproductive adults.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 20-50 mm
Size: 10-30 mm
Lifespan: 365-1095 days
Flight Speed: 5 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

Tiny plant bits and decaying matter are eaten by larvae; adults don't eat at all!

Age differences: Larvae eat detritus and algae; adults do not feed and lack functional mouthparts.

Primary Foods

Detritus
Algae
Organic particles
Microscopic plants

Foraging Method

Filter Feeding

Ecological connections

eaten by

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

Trout are major predators of mayfly larvae and emerging adults.

eaten by

Common Green Darner

Anax junius

Dragonfly nymphs are fierce hunters of mayfly larvae underwater.

eaten by

Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis

Birds often snatch adult mayflies from the air during their swarming flights.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Decomposer

Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.