Alien Empire | Mayflies | Nature - PBS

Home » How Long Do Mayflies Live » Alien Empire | Mayflies | Nature - PBS

Maybe your like

Skip to main content Skip to footer site map

“Fly fast, mate quickly, die young.” If mayflies had a motto, that would probably be it. That’s because these elegant insects have among the shortest adult lives of any insect. Indeed, scientists have named this group of insects the Ephemeroptera, Latin for “short-lived flyer.”

Researchers believe the record for shortest adult life span belongs to the female mayfly called Dolania americana. After spending a year or more living on the bottom of a stream in its aquatic nymph form, it emerges as a flying adult — and lives for less than five minutes. During its brief adult life, the mayfly must find a mate, copulate, and lay its eggs back into the water from which it came.

Though mayflies may be short-lived as adults, they play a crucial role in the health of streams and lakes. Because they occur is such large numbers — a swarm of hatching mayflies may contain millions of individuals — mayflies are a vital link in the food chain. Anglers, for instance, know that fish love to eat both the flying adults and the worm-like larva, which often live under rocks on river bottoms. Mayflies also provide important clues to water quality. Large populations can indicate clean water, while their absence may suggest some kind of pollution problem. Unfortunately, researchers believe pollution has already driven two species of North American mayflies to extinction.

Scientists, however, aren’t the only ones keeping a close eye on mayflies. Poets, too, have become captivated by their sweet, short lives. The California poet Darren “Gav” Bleuel, for instance, had this to say about the insects:

“The Mayfly never sees the dawn But once before his end. To think he’s born, Upon the morn, Yet not see one again.”

SHARE

Features

Additional Web and Print ResourcesView additional resources, online and in print, for NATURE's "Alien Empire."
SilkwormsThe tiny silkworm caterpillar is one of the more valued insects, spinning the shimmering threads...
Monarch Butterfly MigrationEvery fall, thousands of monarch butterflies fly west to their wintering grounds in California and...
TermitesThey are feared by homeowners for their ability to eat through foundations and beams. But...
Caterpillar WaspsImagine being eaten alive -- from the inside out! That is what happens to any...
AerodynamicsThere are mathematical laws that explain how everything from jets to paper gliders stay airborne,...
AboutLearn more about how insects reproduce, live together in society, migrate, and battle for survival.

You May Also Like

Sex, Lies and Butterflies PREVIEW: 0:35
Sex, Lies and ButterfliesExplore the amazing abilities of butterflies – from camouflage to chemical weaponry.
Westward Wings | A NATURE Short Film WATCH: 10:57
Westward Wings | A NATURE Short FilmFollow researcher Maggie Hirschauer as she learns about the monarchs in Montana.
The Gathering Swarms -- The Gathering Swarms | Preview PREVIEW: 0:48
The Gathering Swarms | PreviewCheck out swarm intelligence, essentially a living embodiment of social media in nature.
Octopus: Making Contact -- Octopus: Making Contact Preview PREVIEW: 0:35
Octopus: Making Contact PreviewAn Alaskan professor raises an octopus in his home. MENU

Subscribe to our Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE

Connect on Social

Tag » How Long Do Mayflies Live