''Palingenia longicauda'' is an aquatic
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
in the order
Ephemeroptera. It is known as the Tisa or Tisza
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 ...
after the European
Tisza river
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa (see below) is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. It was once called "the most Hungarian river" because it used to flow entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national bo ...
where it is found and also as the long-tailed mayfly and giant mayfly since it is the largest mayfly species in Europe, measuring from head to tail.
Unlike many other species of mayflies, adult ''P. longicauda'' never move away from water; they fly low and their
cerci are frequently touching or sweeping the surface. The slow-moving river and absence of surface-feeding fish help make this possible.
[ The presence of ''P. longicauda'' is an indicator of clean unpolluted water. Now extinct in many European countries, it can be found on the ]Tisza river
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa (see below) is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. It was once called "the most Hungarian river" because it used to flow entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national bo ...
(in Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
),[ on the ]Prut
The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube, and is long. Part of its course forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine.
Characteristics
The Prut originates on the eas ...
and Bega (in Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
)Ukrina
Ukrina ( cyrl, Укрина) is a river in the Central Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, right tributary of the river Sava. Its mouth is 3 km north from settlement Koraće and 10 km southwest of Brod.
Vojnogeografski institut, Ed. (1955 ...
(in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
).
Mating
Large numbers of ''P. longicauda'' larva
A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...
e will usually hatch and mature during a week in mid June; this natural phenomenon is known as the 'blooming of the Tisza' or 'Tisza blooming' and is a tourist attraction.[ (In Hungarian, the native name of the P. longicauda is ''tiszavirág'', i.e. "Tisza blossom".) After hatching the adults only have a few hours to mate before they die. Consequently, groups of males will frantically try to mate with a female. Females will fly 1–3 km before laying their eggs on the river, which then sink to the bottom and hatch after about 45 days. The larvae develop in the mud for as long as three years before hatching.][
]
References
External links
* National Geographic
József L. Szentpéteri: With just hours to live, these swarming insects on Hungary's Tisza River have only one thing on their minds.
* The Tisza River Project: http://www.tiszariver.com/
Tisza Mayfly
BioFresh Cabinet of Freshwater Curiosities.
Mayflies
Insects of Europe
Insects described in 1791
{{mayfly-stub