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''Ephemera danica'', the green drake or green drake mayfly, is a species of
These insects are
The adults mainly can be found in May–June (hence the common name of
Fauna europaea
/ref>
Catalogue of Life
* * {{Authority control Mayflies Insects of Europe Insects described in 1764 Taxa named by Otto Friedrich Müller
mayfly
Mayflies (also known as shadflies or fishflies in Canada and the upper Midwestern United States, as Canadian soldiers in the American Great Lakes region, and as up-winged flies in the United Kingdom) are aquatic insects belonging to the orde ...
in the genus ''Ephemera
Ephemera are items which were not originally designed to be retained or preserved, but have been collected or retained. The word is etymologically derived from the Greek ephēmeros 'lasting only a day'. The word is both plural and singular.
On ...
''.
Description
''Ephemera danica'' can reach animago
In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the ''imaginal'' stage ("imaginal" being "imago" in adjective form), the stage in wh ...
size of in males, while females are larger, reaching . This mayfly
Mayflies (also known as shadflies or fishflies in Canada and the upper Midwestern United States, as Canadian soldiers in the American Great Lakes region, and as up-winged flies in the United Kingdom) are aquatic insects belonging to the orde ...
, with its characteristic markings and three tails ( cerci), is the most commonly seen of British Ephemeridae
Ephemeridae is a family of mayfly, mayflies with about 150 described species found throughout the world except Australia and Oceania.
Description
Ephemerids are generally quite large mayflies (up to 35 mm) with either two or three very long ...
. Imago wings are translucent with dark veining, while in subimago
Mayflies (also known as shadflies or fishflies in Canada and the upper Midwestern United States, as Canadian soldiers in the American Great Lakes region, and as up-winged flies in the United Kingdom) are aquatic insects belonging to the order ...
they are dull and yellowish with brown veins. Moreover, forelegs and the tails of the spinners are much longer than in duns. Mouthparts are non-functional, as adults do not feed.
These insects are aeroplankton
Aeroplankton (or aerial plankton) are tiny lifeforms that float and drift in the air, carried by wind. Most of the living things that make up aeroplankton are very small to Microscope, microscopic in size, and many can be difficult to identify ...
and usually are food for swallows, trout and various species of amphibians and spiders.
Life cycle
The life cycle usually lasts one or two years, but sometimes the developing nymphal forms may last for up to three years. Nymphs can reach a length of about . They dig tunnels into the gravel in the beds of rivers and feed by filtering organic detritus, before emerging in spring and moving towards shallow waters.
The adults mainly can be found in May–June (hence the common name of mayfly
Mayflies (also known as shadflies or fishflies in Canada and the upper Midwestern United States, as Canadian soldiers in the American Great Lakes region, and as up-winged flies in the United Kingdom) are aquatic insects belonging to the orde ...
), at the end of many larval stages. Adults may be often present between April and November. The lifetime of adults is very short (around four days at the most), hence its genus name (Ephemera
Ephemera are items which were not originally designed to be retained or preserved, but have been collected or retained. The word is etymologically derived from the Greek ephēmeros 'lasting only a day'. The word is both plural and singular.
On ...
).
Females fly on the surface of the water and dip their abdomen onto the surface to lay eggs. At the end of this process, females fall onto the surface of the water and die.
Distribution and habitat
This species is commonly found in clear water rivers and lakes with sandy or gravel bottoms throughout Europe, including theBritish Isles
The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
./ref>
See also
*List of mayflies of the British Isles
This list of mayflies of the British Isles follows Macadam, with nomenclature and taxonomy according to Kluge. There are 51 species of mayfly known to occur in the British Isles
Species
The following genera and species have been recorded: from te ...
References
*Catalogue of Life
* * {{Authority control Mayflies Insects of Europe Insects described in 1764 Taxa named by Otto Friedrich Müller