Mayfly

The mayfly is a graceful, soft-bodied flying insect that can be seen sailing over ponds or streams worldwide. It has four lacy, fanlike wings and a long tri-forked tail that trails along behind during flight. Mayflies begin life as eggs deposited in streams or ponds. Once hatched the young mayflies or nymphs, which have gills, feed on water plants. They live in the water as nymphs for a few months to a few years. Once they leave the water they shed their skins, becoming what scientists call a subimago, or subadult. After just a few hours, the subimago will shed its skin again and become a mature, adult mayfly. Mayflies are the only insects that go through this second molting process. Adult mayflies do not eat and will live for only a few hours to a few days. This is why they are sometimes called dayflies. Adults are commonly seen in the spring but they may occur in late fall as well.

Mayflies are not true flies. Flies have two wings while mayflies have four. They belong to the order Ephemeroptera.

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