KnowraMayflyMayflyA mayfly is an insect in the order Ephemeroptera, with aquatic nymphs and short-lived winged adults that do not feed.BriefConnectMayfly nymph: The aquatic immature stage of a mayfly, living in freshwater before emerging as a winged subimago. This stage occupies most of a mayfly’s life and shapes its habitat and feeding.Mayfly emergence: The transition in which a mayfly nymph leaves the water and becomes a winged subimago. This brief and vulnerable transition connects the aquatic and aerial stages.Mayfly nymph sampling: Collection and identification of aquatic mayfly juveniles to assess freshwater communities. Nymph surveys can track mayfly diversity and changes in stream condition.Freshwater food web: The network of feeding relationships among organisms in freshwater ecosystems. Mayfly nymphs and adults transfer energy through different parts of this web.Stonefly: An insect in the order Plecoptera, whose aquatic nymphs usually inhabit clean, oxygen-rich waters. Stoneflies share aquatic juvenile habitats but lack mayflies’ winged subimago stage.Subimago: A sexually immature, winged insect stage that molts into the adult imago. Mayflies uniquely pass through this winged stage before becoming reproductive adults.Mayfly mating swarm: Aerial aggregation of mayflies in which adults find mates and reproduce. Swarming concentrates the short adult phase around mating.Biological indicator: An organism or community whose presence or condition provides evidence about environmental quality. Mayfly sensitivity makes some species informative indicators of water quality.Emergence subsidy: The transfer of aquatic production to terrestrial ecosystems when organisms emerge from water. Adult mayflies carry aquatic resources onto land in large seasonal pulses.Dragonfly: A predatory insect in the order Odonata, with aquatic juveniles and strong-flying adults. Dragonflies also have aquatic juveniles, but adults live longer and actively hunt.Show all 25Linked from 11 pagesBioindicatorBroader topic: Mayfly larvae often indicate well-oxygenated streams with relatively low pollution.OdonataCompared with: Mayflies are another ancient winged-insect lineage, but they are not odonates or predators as adults.Stream ecologyBroader topic: Mayfly larvae are common stream consumers and indicators of environmental conditions.DamselflyCompared with: Mayflies also emerge from water, but belong to a separate order and have different adult lives.Jan SwammerdamBroader topic: Swammerdam documented mayfly development and helped establish that aquatic nymphs become winged adults.TubifexCompared with: Many mayfly nymphs decline in polluted, oxygen-poor habitats where Tubifex can thrive.PterygotaBroader topic: Mayflies preserve an early-diverging wing arrangement among living pterygotes.Show all 11