Mayflies by: Sam Easterbrook

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Mayfliesby Sam Easterbrook

• 2,000 species of mayflies worldwide.
• One of the oldest known animals, has been around
  300,000,000 years.
• These insects are very small adults only reach
  about 2cm in length.

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• Mayfly larvae spend two to three years in a pond
  or river before developing into an adult.
• For adult mayflies flight is very weak because of
  their very thin fragile wings.
• Unlike many other flying insects mayflies cannot
  walk on the ground.

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• Main purpose of adult mayflies is to reproduce.
• Mayflies die almost immediately after mating.
• Adult mayflies cannot eat because of degenerate
  mouth parts and an incomplete digestive tract.

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• The scientific name of mayflies is Ephemeroptera
  danica (meaning living for a day.)
• Mayflies also have well developed compound eyes.
• Females always lay eggs in water.

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• Mayflies are also used for fly fishing.
• Trout especially like mayflies for bate.
• In conclusion mayflies are an interesting insect
  that live when young, become an adult, reproduce
  then die. Then the cycle starts again.

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• Thank you for watching.