I’m a Mayfly

I am an insect that flies.

I live by waterways, streams, lakes and ponds.

I’m an aquatic insect with wings.



I can be seen by those who go fly fishing by streams where I habitat.



Mayflies live all throughout the world and are solitary in nature because of their extremely short lifespans as adults.



I have the shortest lifespan of any living thing on the earth as a mature mayfly.



As a female mayfly, I only live a few minutes to reproduce and lay my eggs.



Mayflies have no ability to feed so they die soon after they’re born.



Some female mayflies can reproduce without a mate to carry on their species through parthenogenesis.



They’re able to produce eggs without a mate because they only live a few minutes as adults.



Male mayflies live longer.

They can live for up to a day.



Mayflies spend most of their lives as nymphs in the water where they can live from 2 weeks to 2 years.



As nymphs they live in the water and have gills to breathe like fish since they live under water and survive on algae.



Mayflies depend on clean and clear waterways to deposit their eggs and can not survive in polluted waters.



Despite their short lifespans mayflies have existed on earth for over 300 million years.



There are more than 3,000 species of mayflies all throughout the world where they live on all continents with exception of Antarctica.



Nature only knows why mayflies have such short lifespans but despite this mayflies and nymphs play an important role in the earth’s ecosystem as they help to keep our waterways clean since that is their natural habitat and is critical for their survival in and under water.



Chances are you’re very curious of my life since I live underwater and when I do fly off I only live a few minutes and at most a day or two.



My most important role is to reproduce as a female and then I go off to insect heaven.



I’m a mayfly.