Immature mayflies are aquatic and are referred to as nymphs or naiads. In contrast to their short lives as adults, they may live for several years in the water. They have an elongated, cylindrical or somewhat flattened body that passes through a number of instars (stages), moulting and increasing in size each time.

Apr 11, 2025 · Given their incredible abundance, mayflies are key members of local food webs, and mayfly nymphs are important in the energy transfer cycle that occurs in freshwaters. However, like many insects and other arthropods, populations of mayflies have experienced significant declines in many places.

Burrowing mayfly nymphs are found in the soft silt or sand at the bottom of both running and still waters. Ephemerid nymphs may occur in large numbers, representing a significant portion of overall bottom biomass.

Mayfly larvae, or nymphs, live from months to years under water, breathing through gills. The adult mayflies fly around in the air, mating, and living for only a day or two.

Sep 3, 2023 · Mayfly eggs are laid on water surfaces, where they quickly sink to the bottom before hatching into aquatic nymphs[^2^]. These nymphs, also known as naiads, can live underwater for months to years, breathing through gills while foraging on organic debris and algae[^3^].

Mayflies spend most of their lives in the water as nymphs and then emerge as adults for only a short while. Adults will live only a day or so, but the aquatic larvae lives for about a year. Their status is unknown. There are more than 600 species of mayfly in the United States and 3,000 worldwide. Encyclopedia Britannica.

Jan 28, 2025 · Mayfly nymphs can be identified by their two or three tails (depending on the species), plate-like gills on the sides of their abdomens, and a single tarsal claw at the end of each leg. Mayflies exhibit a wide range of behaviors and thrive in a variety of habitats.

May 19, 2024 · Mayflies are the only insects that molt in winged condition. There may be from several to dozens nymphal instars. Mature nymphs swim to water surface or crawl onto rocks or plants, then molt into winged subimagoes which then molt again into adults (imagoes). Adult lifespan ranges from 1.5 hours to two weeks, most adults live 48‒72 hrs.

Dec 31, 2022 · Mayfly larvae, often referred to as “nymphs” or “naiads,” are mayflies that are in the immature aquatic stage of their life. They are commonly found in bodies of freshwater, but some can even survive in the slightly brackish waters of marine estuaries.

Feb 14, 2018 · When a new mayfly hatches from an egg it is as a nymph. A nymph lives underwater and has gills, like a fish, to breathe. The nymphs tend to live on the bottom of streams or lakes under rocks where they eat algae.