Pond Life of Brazos Bend State Park

Mayflies: Order Ephemerata

The order Ephemerata takes its name from the fact that its members are extremely short-lived. Mayflies, as adults usually live for only a day or two. Their life span is so short that they do not develop mouths, since they will not be alive long enough to need to eat.

There are many different species of mayflies, and their larvae are all very different. However they do have many features in common. The larvae are all aquatic. They are long and slender, with long legs, much like damselfly larvae, but with smaller heads. They have appendages on their tails but these are not gills. Their gills are on the sides of their abdomens. In many species, these gills look like flaps or branches that wave back and forth constantly.

Mayfly Larva 7 mm long

Depending on the species, mayflies may spend as little as 10 days, or as long as 2 years in the larval stage. Their wings gradually form as buds on the backs of their thoraxes. Unlike other insects , mayflies develop functional wings before reaching full adulthood. They either crawl out of the water or emerge from the larval shell on the surface of the water. They then fly away. The final molt takes place 24 hours later. The mayfly is now ready to begin its very short life as an adult.

Updated: Sep 06, 2011