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Green Drake Mayfly (Ephemera Danica)
There are few sights that denote a warm hazy summer's evening more than the sight of yo-yoing Mayfly in their thousands.
Of course, mostly what you see is a blurring mass of excited insects making the most of their brief lives.
But this is actually a unique, beautiful & highly complex insect that's graced the earth for millions of years.
How long? Find out here:
The green drake or green drake mayfly is a species of mayfly in the genus "Ephemera".
Similar species: Mayflies
By Philip Booker
All rights reserved
Uploaded Jan 20, 2021. Captured in Old Station, Barcombe Mills, Lewes BN8 5BP, UK.
comments (6)
Thank YOU for enjoying!
Posted 4 years ago
Mayflies are fantastic insects! There are more than 3,000 species worldwide, and their aquatic nymphs are bioindicators that can be used to measure water quality. They don't tolerate polluted water. In addition, mayflies have a critical role in food webs. The adults are eaten by spiders, amphibians, bats, and birds, while the nymphs are a food source for fish and other aquatic predators. Not to mention that adult mayflies inspired anglers to create lures in their image!
The story of their lifecycle is as follows...Male mayflies swarm over a pond/lake/stream, which attracts females, and results in mating mania. Females then descend to the surface of the water to lay their eggs. Exhausted by the effort, they collapse on the water and die. The males fly off to die on land. The life of an adult mayfly is very brief, lasting no longer than a few days! In fact, in most species, the adults don't even have mouths! They have no need to eat because their sole purpose is to reproduce.
Nymphs (naiads) hatch out of the eggs and are completely aquatic. They muck around, digging tunnels, crawling in streambeds, and filtering organic detritus. Depending on the species, it can take a few months up to a few years for them to develop.
Mayflies are unique because they have two adult forms. When their nymphal stage is complete, they float to the surface of the water and molt into a winged, but sexually immature adult, called a sub-imago. Sub-imagos are soft and weak. After a few hours, the sub-imago molts into a fully mature adult. It’s unclear why mayflies have this extra stage in their lifecycles, but it may be too challenging for them to transition directly from nymph to adult. Whatever the reason, mayflies are the only insects to molt after becoming winged adults. {Ephemera danica spotted in the UK by Philip Booker} #JungleDragon #mayfly #Ephemeroptera #Ephemeradanica
PK has so many fantastic photos AND videos! Check them out here: https://www.jungledragon.com/user/4367/popular
https://www.facebook.com/jungledragonwildlife
Posted 4 years ago