|
My Home:
I will spend most of my life as a
larva in the water. I am found throughout North America and in most
parts of the world.
What I
eat: As a larva, I eat algae. As
an adult, I cannot eat because I do not have a functional mouth.
What I
look like: I am usually green,
1/2 to 1 inch in length and have two or three long tails that extend
from the end of my body. I have two sets of wings that are held up over
my body when I am not flying.
How I am
born: I go through three stages
of development: egg, naiad and adult. My egg is laid in the water. I
will hatch into a naiad and spend up to three years living in the
water. As an adult, I will only live from 2 minutes to two days, long
enough to reproduce.
Fun
Facts: Mayflies have been around
since before dinosaurs even existed, over 350 million years. Mayflies
need clean water to live in and scientists look for their larva in water
to see if the water is polluted.
There are about 2,500 species of Mayflies in the world.
|
