In our article, we want to talk about such a small creature as the mayfly larva. It can be found in clean water in the midst of plants. It is distinguished from other larvae by a long antennae on its head.
Mayfly Features
It is worth noting that such tiny creatures represent a detachment of mayfly insects, and have the scientific name of clown. They are also called a snowstorm. Many fish eat them and their larvae with great pleasure. Moths fall into the water, and fish immediately seek to grab a treat and eat.
Surely you have repeatedly seen small insects flock to the light of lanterns or to the lights of steamboats on warm and quiet evenings. This is the mayfly. They are very easy to recognize. They have two pairs of transparent mesh wings, and the front ones are always much larger than the rear ones. In calm weather it is incredibly interesting to watch their flight. They quickly flap their wings and fly up, after which they freeze and, as if by parachute, go down.
The Russian name "mayfly" in itself speaks of a short period of existence of these creatures. They live from several hours to two days. Insects are interesting in that their larval stage can last for several years, but at the same time, adults are given a very short time, which is several hours or one day. Such a paradox in development is difficult to explain.
What does the mayfly larva look like?
But the larvae of these insects develop in water. They have a slender body and developed legs, as well as bundles of tracheal gills on both sides of the abdomen. One mayfly larva has seven pairs of gills similar to flat oval plates.
The first six pairs always oscillate, but the seventh remains motionless. First, the first pair begins to move, followed by the second, and so on. In this way, a constant flow of water is formed, flowing from the front to the rear gills. An interesting fact is that in the water enriched with oxygen, the movement of the gills is significantly slowed down. But if oxygen is not enough, then they move so intensely that creates the effect of "radiance" around them.
What do the mayfly larvae eat?
Larvae feed on particles of organic matter, which are so small that they do not attract other aquatic inhabitants. Mayfly larva is able to turn these garbage into the substance of its body, in turn, it serves as a food source for birds, fish, amphibians, predatory water insects. The life of these creatures is full of dangers, not all of them live to a mature state. Only some of them live at the bottom of the reservoir for about two years, while shedding a huge number of times. And leaving the water, there are only a couple of hours, after which they die. The wings of an adult insect are very tender, and the legs are incredibly weak for walking.
What does the adult mayfly larva eat? The oral apparatus of the insect does not function, and sometimes it is completely absent. This is due to the fact that an adult creature simply does not eat. The insect's digestive system is filled with air, this creates additional lifting force that helps the fragile wings of the mayfly. The mouthpart of the insect is simply not intended for nutrition. It seems that such unfit creatures appeared recently. But this is completely wrong. The fossil remains of these insects are found even in layers of the late Permian period; their age is 250 million years.
Adult Mayfly: Breeding
In a mature state, they reach two or three centimeters. In the caudal region, the mayfly larva has three caudal, very long filaments, which are its distinctive feature. These threads help them swim, their action is like flippers or tail.
I must say that an adult insect does not live long. Its life cycle is equal to the time it takes to participate in a marriage flight in the evening on the shore or over the river. From a whole swarm of males, only one representative swiftly flies out and grabs a female who is ready for breeding. In her body is a large number of eggs. She releases them into the water, and she dies. The next morning, after such a wedding dance, all the banks and the surface of the water are dotted with dead insects. Thus, one mayfly larva ends the life cycle and a new life begins.
The further fate of the larvae
In the Great Lakes region, in the north of America, there are such years when insect piles that cover a large layer of the road and carriageways, making them incredibly slippery, are transported by truck from city streets. Having finished the mating dance, the adult insect dies, but the eggs that have fallen into the water only begin their life cycle. They have a wonderful mechanism to help them survive. Each egg is equipped with thin threads that unfold the moment it first touches the water. Such threads have sticky patches, thanks to which the egg can be held at the bottom of the pond.
Mayfly larvae often become victims of dragonfly larvae. This predatory insect not only eats its own kind, but also preys on tadpoles and fry. Enough in the life of the mayfly is enough, so not everyone performs the full life cycle.
Lifestyle
The larva of the mayfly butterfly spends its entire life in water. It is difficult to imagine, but in two or three years of underwater life, the creature molts up to forty times, which is a complete record for insects. For example, butterfly caterpillars molt all five times. A peculiarity of the mayfly is the fact that they molt after they have acquired wings. A winged, but not sexually mature creature leaves water. Then another moult occurs, and a ripe insect appears, which immediately goes on mating flight.
All varieties of mayflies fly out overnight and are very friendly. Once, on a quiet evening, over the surface of the water you can see a myriad of insects. Their number is so large that a cloud of these creatures can spread over hundreds of meters. There are even such cases when in such a cluster of mayflies the cars stall, because their radiators are clogged by insects.
Creatures that die after mating are excellent fish food. Fishermen use insects as fishing bait.
Varieties of Mayfly
All over the world there are more than two thousand mayflies. And in Russia, about 250 varieties are noted, of which more than a hundred are found in the European part. The most common insects in our area are creatures belonging to the families of seven-day, thin-veined, two-tailed and real mayflies. The smallest and most numerous are double-tailed.
And the largest may species on the territory of Russia can be considered common mayfly, which reaches a length of 15-20 mm.
Where do insects live?
Different types of mayflies live in different places. Some stick to algae and disguise themselves as weed, others prefer stagnant water, and still others scoop up in bottom mud and garbage. In running water, insects hide under stones. It doesn’t matter in what environment the larva lives, but each of them accumulates a decent fat layer during its underwater life, which it will need in the future as an adult.
