Mayflies
Order: Ephemeroptera
Status: Not Listed
Classification: Invertebrate
Description
Despite their name, mayflies are active during the warmer months of the year, not just May. They tend to be gray, yellow, or brown and have long, thin abdomens. Mayfly larvae are aquatic and found in nearly all types of water bodies, from streams to lakes. The larva is often used as a bioindicator species to measure the health of water. Mayflies can vary in size, growing anywhere from a quarter-inch (0.6 centimeters) to 1.1 inches (2.8 centimeters).
Range
Mayflies are found throughout North America and worldwide. Most of the nymphs develop in streams and rivers that are relatively clean.
Diet
Mayfly larvae feed on detritus and other plant materials. Some may feed on insects. The adults do not feed.
Life History
Females deposit eggs in the water. Mayflies spend most of their lives in the water as nymphs and then emerge as adults for only a short while. Adults will live only a day or so, but the aquatic larvae lives for about a year.
Conservation
Their status is unknown.
Fun Fact
There are more than 600 species of mayfly in the United States and 3,000 worldwide.
Sources
Encyclopedia Britannica
Stroud Water Research Center
