Mayfly

Ephemera (Mayfly)

Mayflies are delicate insects that often dance above the water. They have very short lives but are beautiful to watch!

Habitat: Rivers and streams

Appearance

The Mayfly has a soft, delicate body with two pairs of translucent, often veined wings held upright like sails when at rest. It is usually dull in color, ranging from brownish to yellowish, and is distinctively characterized by two or three long, thread-like tails called cerci.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderEphemeropteraFamilyEphemeridaeGenusEphemera

Mayfly

Interesting facts

Adult mayflies have no mouth or stomach; they don't eat anything in their short lives!

Mayflies are super ancient, with fossils showing they have existed for over 300 million years!

Scientists can tell how clean a river is by counting the different kinds of mayfly larvae.

Thousands of mayflies can emerge from water at the exact same time, creating huge swarms!

Special abilities

Mayfly adults have an incredibly short lifespan, often just a day, that helps them focus solely on reproduction before quickly perishing.

Mayfly larvae possess feathery gills that allow them to extract oxygen and breathe underwater in fast-flowing streams and rivers.

Mayfly has a unique subimago stage, where it molts one last time as a winged insect, making it the only insect to do so.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 10-50 mm
Size: 5-30 mm
Lifespan: 1-7 days
Flight Speed: 3.5 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

Mayfly larvae munch on tiny plant bits and decaying matter found in the water.

Age differences: Adults do not eat, but larvae feed on algae and detritus.

Primary Foods

algae
diatoms
detritus
decaying plant matter

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

A key food source for many freshwater fish.

eaten by

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Flying adults are eagerly snatched by birds.

eaten by

Green Darner

Anax junius

Dragonflies prey on emerging adult mayflies.

Traits

Wildlife

Step into the incredible world of wild animals and plants living freely in nature. From tiny insects to towering trees, it's all part of the wild wonders around us!

Herbivorous

Meet the peaceful munchers and grazers who find all their nourishment from plants, leaves, and fruits. They transform plant energy into life!

Ancient Lineage

These fascinating organisms carry echoes of the deep past, with ancestors that have roamed the Earth for an incredible span of time. They are living links to ancient worlds!