''Siphlonurus lacustris'' is a species 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 order ...

belonging to the family

Siphlonuridae Siphlonuridae, also known as the primitive minnow mayfly is a family of insects belonging to the order Ephemeroptera. Taxonomy The family is divided into the following genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biologica ...

. This species is present in most of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

. The adults of these aquatic insects reach of length and can mostly be encountered from early May through August, mainly in oxygenated waterways and in fresh water of lakes (hence the Latin name ''lacustris'', meaning "lacustrine"). The basic coloration of the body is brown or gray-brown. On the head they have large compound eyes and three ocelli. The wings are held upright, they are triangular and translucent, with well drawn dark veins. The hindwings are much smaller than the forewings. The legs are long and thin. At the tip of the cylindrical abdomen they have two long cerci (about long). Adults do not feed at all, as the reproduction is their main function. Their lifespan is very short, in the females lasts about 45 days, while in males usually no more than one day. The female lay the eggs on the water surface and leave them sink to the bottom. Nymphs are approximately long. They live for about two years under rocks or buried in the mud, eating small invertebrates or small vegetables particles.

References

* Elliott, J.M., Humpesch, U.H. & Macan, T.T., 1988, Larvae of the British Ephemeroptera: a key with ecological notes * Elliott, J.M. & Humpesch, U.H., 1983, A key to the adults of the British Ephemeroptera with notes on their ecology

External links

Habitas
{{Taxonbar, from=Q148056 Siphlonuridae Insects described in 1870 Insects of Europe