Everything You Should Know About a Mayfly

You’ve probably driven across a highway and noticed how roads have become slippery. You could have also experienced your insulators near a body of water short circuit. If you can’t find a plausible cause, then you might want to consider mayflies as the cause of these disturbances. Often considered a nuisance rather than a serious pest, mayfly nymphs often live in rivers and lakes. Unlike black widow spiders or blow flies that can bite or spread diseases, Mayflies are harmless. But, they can also cause allergic reactions.  

For those living in these areas, burrowing mayflies can be a problem they may want to address. 

However, making this happen means knowing everything you could know about mayfly nymphs. Here’s everything you need to know about a mayfly: 

What a Mayfly Is

A mayfly belongs to the order Ephemeroptera. They begin their life as mayfly nymphs, proliferating in freshwater lakes and rivers. These aquatic insects are notable for being widespread during the summer months. When they spread, they often taint the air with decaying odors. 

On the other hand, Nymphs become food for other predatory animals, such as fishes. This process makes mayflies a critical part of the energy transfer cycle underwater. 

A mayfly can grow from 0.6 centimeters to 2.8 centimeters. Its distinguishing characteristics include three-tail filaments. The lateral filaments are much longer than the central one, and external gills on the bottom side and single claws are present on the last and undivided leg segments. 

General Features of Mayflies 

Mayflies come in different names, particularly during their winged stages. Common names include shadfly, dayfly, sandfly, drake, or fishfly. Here are additional general features of mayflies: 

Abundance and Distribution

With more than 2,500 species described worldwide, 700 of which are concentrated in North America, mayflies are widely distributed insects. They are also highly prolific, producing over 1,400 nymphs in a square foot of surface, especially if the area has the right biological conditions. While mayfly larvae may be abundant, their existence is threatened by water pollution, mainly during the larval stage. They are also susceptible to acidification, except for a few insect species. 

Exposure to contaminants often affects their ability to reproduce. Water pollution also obliterates 80% of mayfly eggs. In England, the number of blue-winged olive mayflies has declined significantly, with some rivers almost devoid of these insects.  

Appearance

In terms of appearance, adult mayflies have large eyes and have brown, yellow, or gray long and slender abdominal areas. Their antennae appear like bristles and have non-functional mouthparts and digestive tracts. 

They have membranous wings, characterized by a triangular pair at the front and a smaller and rounded pair at the back. Some adult mayflies may have two or three filamentous tails that are often longer than their body.

Life Cycle and Life Span

Mayflies have short life spans that make them unique. Once they reach their adult stages, they only have a few hours to live and reproduce. They have four life stages: eggs, nymph, sub-imago, and imago. The eggs hatch within two weeks. After hatching, they enter the nymph stages. 

Mayfly larvae become sub-imagos that often make trees and waterside vegetation their habitat. Within hours, the pale-looking sub-imago undergoes metamorphosis to come out as a vibrant imago. 

Mating

During their adult stages, male mayflies swarm on the water’s surface. They pick up the female and mate. Remember, they are in their winged stages to copulate while in flight.  After mating, the male mayfly will release the female and head to a surface to die. The female, on the other hand, will fall on the surface of the water, where they become food for the fish. The eggs will descend to the bottom of the water, attaching to plants and other objects. 

Identifying Mayflies in the Wild

Identifying mayflies is best in areas with fast-flowing rivers or freshwater wetlands. They are most widespread from April to September. The nymphs can be present all year round. 

Identification is easiest when looking at the minute details of their body and wings. Their wings are almost lace-like, almost translucent, in appearance. The common mayfly usually has a green abdomen with brown highlights as it tapers towards its tail. 

The imago would usually have hairless wings and long legs and tails to fly faster. Their wings are also more corrugated, increasing their flexibility and making them less susceptible to wind damage. 

Fast Facts About Mayflies

Almost all of the different species of mayflies are incredibly fragile. When picked up, they would often lose a tail or a part of their body. 

Here are some interesting facts: 

Diet

Mayflies usually eat algae that they usually graze on between stones and weeds. Different species of mayflies have adapted to their environment, depending on what organisms they can eat. Some nymphs even manifest their diet on their body colors. 

Mayfly larvae may consume waste materials from other organisms and plant materials. In some cases, they can also feed on insects. Some species with flatter bodies can swim between little rocks and feed themselves. 

Mayflies no longer feed themselves when they reach adulthood. 

Habits

Most of a mayfly’s life is spent developing underwater. According to most entomologists, a high concentration of mayfly freshwater sources indicates a healthy aquatic ecosystem since these insects are susceptible to pollution. 

As mentioned, most adult mayflies will focus on reproduction. They will go to the surface of the water to breed. Male mayflies die after mating, while females do so after laying the eggs. 

Pest Status

Mayflies aren’t pests since they don’t bite or sting. Since they swarm towards light sources, they can affect visibility on roads at night. They may also become an issue for those with seasonal allergies. 

Controlling Mayfly Infestation

Controlling swarms of adult mayfly control should focus on removing the reasons for swarming. This includes moving light sources away from home or reducing the light peeking through the window whenever possible. Changing white lights to yellow bug lights can also help. 

Another possible solution is to remove any standing water since swarms of adult mayflies would reproduce and deposit their eggs in water. 

Preventing the Spread of Mayfly

Massive mayfly infestation can cause severe damage to homes. They can attack insulators, short-circuit them, and cause a fire. After controlling their spread, preventing their recurrence should be the next priority. 

On top of the above tips, preventing massive mayfly infestation is most effective by using chemical foggers. These compounds are powerful enough to kill adult mayflies capable of reproducing.