What Are the Main Stages of the Mayfly Life Cycle?
Residing on our planet Earth for billions of years and at least a 100 million years before the dinosaurs, mayflies are the most primitive insects which have been living among us since the advent of human life. There are over 3000 types of mayflies which live today and are the only living creatures which still exhibit two stages of adulthood.
Mayflies belong to the order Ephemeroptera, an order characterised by extremely short lifespans and abundantly reproducing in large numbers during the summer months.
Mayflies have tiny antennas, non-existent digestive systems and compound eyes, like all other flies. May fly life span, like that of other Ephemeroptera insects, is very brief and their lifecycle is an extremely interesting area of study at present. Mayflies have a degree of pre-historic characteristics which almost all newer organisms, those we encounter in our daily lives, lack.
Now that you know what mayflies are let's have a small quiz and then, we move on to describe more about their lifecycle.
Pop Quiz 1
1. Since how Many Years Before the Dinosaurs Were Mayflies Present on Earth?
a. 100 million years.
b. 100 years.
c. Mayflies came much later than dinosaurs.
Different Stages of Mayfly Life Cycle
Owing to their very short may fly life span, many scientists have concluded that unlike other organisms, the reason mayflies show two entirely different forms of adulthood is because of their primitiveness and their inability to transform from an egg to a sexually active adult directly in one go.
1. The Egg Stage
During mating season, above water bodies, male mayflies are seen to form swarms, where their female counterparts fly in and mate. A male mayfly randomly catches a flying female using their long legs and mate while flying.
Afterwards, the male releases the female mayfly on the water surface, where the female lays her eggs and spends her remaining life on the surface motionless, usually eaten up by fishes. The male mayflies most usually reach the nearest land and die.
The eggs then drown under the water and remain attached to stones and plants, waiting to hatch.
2. The Nymph Stage
The length of the nymph stage in a mayfly life cycle can vary between a few weeks to a couple of years, usually depending on various factors like their own species and external conditions like air and water. During this whole length of time, the nymphs typically roam around the bottom of water bodies, before they enter the next stage.
3. The Adult Stage
When it is time for emergence, the nymphs travel back to the water surface, shed their nymphal sack, develop short wings and transform themselves into a form known as sub-imago or dun. Sub-imago mayflies usually keep floating on the water surface and are extremely vulnerable to fishes and other aquatic animals who are looking out for food.
The sub-imago’s dry their wings and shed their skin one last time to give way to their last stage of life cycle, the imago. The imagos are the adult variant of mayflies, a stage when they are sexually active. Imagos or adult mayflies then follow the same life cycle which birthed them and die shortly after their mating process is over.
[Image will be Uploaded Soon]
Life Cycle of a Mayfly
Pop Quiz 2
1. Which Variant of Mayflies are Termed as Imagos?
a. Adults.
b. Nymphs.
c. Eggs.
Did You Know?
A particular species of mayflies called Hexagania limbata, found mostly in North America, gives birth to around 18 trillion mayflies every year, which is 3000 times the total number of humans on Earth. These mayflies are attracted to lights in nearby towns and villages, and exclusive snowmobiles are deployed to tow away these insects.
On the other hand, the African people combine a species of mayfly called Povilla adusta with Chironomid midges to make a special patty called Kungu, which serves an essential part of their diet.
To learn more about the mayfly life cycle, refer to our comprehensive study materials and revision notes available in PDF for free. Download the Vedantu app today and get access to free live demo classes and much more.
FAQs on Mayfly Life Cycle: Complete Stages & Diagram
1. What are the main stages in the life cycle of a mayfly?
The mayfly undergoes incomplete metamorphosis, which includes three main stages:
- Egg: Laid in water, where it develops for a few weeks to months.
- Nymph (or Naiad): An aquatic stage where the mayfly spends most of its life (up to a year or more). It breathes through gills, feeds on algae and detritus, and molts several times as it grows.
- Adult: A very short terrestrial stage, which is divided into two parts: the subimago (a winged, but not yet sexually mature insect) and the imago (the final, sexually mature adult).
2. What is the difference between a mayfly's nymph and adult stages?
The primary differences are in habitat, feeding, and function. The nymph stage is fully aquatic, designed for growth, and actively feeds on organic matter. In contrast, the adult stage is terrestrial (lives on land), does not eat because it has non-functional mouthparts, and exists solely for reproduction.
3. Why is the adult life of a mayfly so short?
The adult mayfly's life is extremely short, often lasting from a few hours to a day, because its only purpose is to reproduce. Adult mayflies, or imagos, do not have a functional digestive system and cannot eat. They rely on energy stored during their long nymph phase to fly, mate, and lay eggs before dying.
4. What does a mayfly eat?
What a mayfly eats depends on its life stage. The nymphs, which live underwater, feed on algae, diatoms, and small organic particles (detritus) found on rocks and plants. The adults do not eat anything at all during their brief lifespan.
5. What is a subimago, and why is this stage special to mayflies?
A subimago is a unique winged stage that appears after the nymph and before the final adult (imago). Although it can fly, it is not yet sexually mature and often has a dull, cloudy appearance. Mayflies are the only known insect group to have this two-step winged adult phase, where they must molt one last time from a subimago to become a fully reproductive imago.
6. How can the presence of mayflies indicate the health of a river or stream?
Mayfly nymphs are considered excellent bioindicators of water quality. They are highly sensitive to pollution and require clean, well-oxygenated water to survive. Therefore, a healthy and abundant population of mayfly nymphs in a river is a strong sign that the water is clean and the ecosystem is healthy.
7. Do mayflies really live for only 24 hours?
This is a common misconception. While the flying adult stage is very short (often less than 24 hours), the mayfly's total lifespan is much longer. The nymph stage, spent entirely underwater, can last from several months to over a year. So, the complete life cycle is actually quite long.
8. What is the ecological importance of mayflies?
Mayflies play a crucial role in freshwater ecosystems. Their primary importance is as a vital food source for many animals, especially fish like trout, as well as for birds, spiders, and other insects. Additionally, the nymphs help with nutrient cycling by consuming algae and organic debris on the riverbed.
