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The
Diversity of The World of Life
True
Insects (Insecta)
Mayflies
(Ephemeroptera)
Representatives
Mayflies
Biology
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF KNOWN SPECIES WORLDWIDE
2,000
DESCRIPTION
Mayflies are small- to medium-sized, slender, very
soft-bodied insects. The antennae
are very short. The adults
lack working mouthparts.
The wings, held upright over the body at rest, have many cross veins.
The forewings are large and triangular; the hindwings are very small, rarely
absent. There
are two
or three long, thin
tails.
METAMORPHOSIS
The "naiad" (aquatic nymph) has leaf-like gills on the sides
of the abdomen and three long, thin tails.
The "subimago" (the unique life-stage just before the
adult) has
fully grown wings: Mayflies,
the most primitive winged insects, are the only insects to undergo a molt
after growing a set of working wings.
HABITATS
The adults are usually found near the water in which the young
develop.
FOODS
The naiads feed on organic debris and on small living
creatures in the water. An adult lives just a day or two and does not feed (The
Ephemeroptera are truly "ephemeral").
DAMAGES/BENEFITS
Mayfly naiads and adults are valuable foods for freshwater
fish (Anglers often tie "flies" that look like these insects).
During the mating season, great swarms of the dying adults
sometimes pile up deeply on lakeside roads and towns.
True
Insects (Insecta)
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