Insect Chronicles: The Ephemeral World of the Mayfly

     (Due to the unprecedented response to my previous article on Japanese beetles, I hope to make 'Insect Chronicles' a semi-regular feature on the Gatherscape.)

     Among the diverse harbingers of the insect world, none may be more of an instantaneous phenomenon than the mayflies. Even their order name, Ephemeroptera, implies that they have a life cycle which is a very transient experience.

      I can vividly recall the summer nights of crossing our own Clinton / Gateway bridge -- through storms of mayflies, appearing as a kind of flying fog.

     Recently, Ed Britton (a local representative of Clinton's Bickelhaupt Arboretum) penned a newspaper article about these water-loving creatures. It seems that they can even foretell the health of a river, while exploding into these extraordinarily-bountiful numbers!

      Seeded from the depths of these murky waterways, they spend quite a while in those often-polluted areas. So they become quite sensitve to such effluents. But first they must transform from eggs into gill-breathing nymphs. Then those intrepid nymphs dwell a year or two in the ponds, where they subsist on plankton and algae.

     Amazingly, during this time they actually shed their skin for a number of different incarnations -- like some kind of mutant "sea monkeys"!

     While swimming to the surface, their final moult begins -- and ends with a fully-realized, soft-bodied mayfly. And then the glorious mating swarm is on!

      In this form, the ubiquitous flyers are perfectly harmless -- unless you happen to inhale too many, or if your car slides across them in an unfortunate way.

     If you think they're only an annoyance, consider their unprecedented ability to feed the fish -- as literal manna from heaven! The nymphs are also cherished tidbits -- especially for walleye, bass, and catfish. And birds may also feast on these easy-to-catch insect travelers. Once "adultized," they only live for a few crucial days, not feeding during this time.

      In total, North America is blessed (cursed?) with at least 600 different mayfly species. Also called shadfly and fishfly, they have huge hairlike multi-pronged tails, which probably act as rudders. And their mating swarms (of males) are characterized by a uniquely-rhythmic, unisonic flight.

     Fishermen may also pattern their own lures after the irresistible mayfly, which would probably disintegrate if applied to a sharp hook. However, such sportsmen may want to avoid the phenomenon of "the hatch" (mating swarm) -- as overfed fish may not want to bite on their more unfamiliar, customized wares!

     Across the world, there are a good 2100 species of mayflies. Their early-winged form is called the subimago. These you may see as dull translucent-winged "pre-flight" creatures, destined for one more costume change before full adulthood.

     All in all, the mayfly phenomenon gives us pause to consider the very elusive and fast-passing nature of life -- as well as a population explosion to feed a hungry breed of summer fish and birds. Enjoy them if you can -- but beware their "rotting carcass" smell -- as they spend their final days on earth. In the process, they may well let us know our own fate as well!

     (Special thanks to 'The Clinton Herald'.)