''Ephemera vulgata'' 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 ord ...

in the genus ''

Ephemera Ephemera are transitory creations which are not meant to be retained or preserved. Its etymological origins extends to Ancient Greece, with the common definition of the word being: "the minor transient documents of everyday life". Ambiguous in ...

''. This mayfly breeds in stationary water in slow rivers and in ponds, the nymphs developing in the mud.

Description

''Ephemera vulgata'' can be told in both adult and subimago stages from the rather similar green drake (''Ephemera danica'') by its duller colour and slightly smaller size. The wings are more heavily veined and the upper side of the abdomen has pairs of dark lateral markings on each segment.

Distribution and habitat

''Ephemera vulgata'' is found throughout most of Europe. It mostly breeds in sluggish rivers and still waters such as ponds. This species is in decline, probably because of pollution of waterways by pesticides and heavy metals, and because the adult insects are disorientated by light pollution.

Biology

The nymphs of ''E. vulgata'' burrow into the sediment at the bottom of ponds. Most burrowing mayfly nymphs use the gills on their abdomens to create a current of water through their burrows, thereby ensuring sufficient oxygen is available to absorb through the tracheae in their skin. The motile, filamentous gills of ''E. vulgata'' seem to act as secondary respiratory surfaces and their presence is necessary to the nymph in the low-oxygen environment in which it lives. By contrast, nymphs of ''

Baetis ''Baetis'' is a genus of mayflies of the family Baetidae, known as the blue-winged olive to anglers. There are at least 150 described species in ''Baetis''. They are distributed worldwide, with the most variety in North America and norther ...

'' and ''

Cloeon ''Cloeon'' is a cosmopolitan genus of mayflies of the family Baetidae. Species * '' Cloeon degrangei'' * ''Cloeon dipterum ''Cloeon dipterum'' is a species of mayfly with a Holarctic distribution. It is the most common mayfly in ponds in the ...

'' spp. that were deprived of their gills maintained a normal uptake of oxygen even in low-oxygen environments. The sediment in which the nymphs live is rich in organic material, and in polluted environments,

heavy metals upright=1.2, Crystals of osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead Heavy metals are generally defined as ...

may accumulate. The nymphs

bioaccumulate Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost or eliminated ...

the toxic metals

cadmium Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, silvery-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Like zinc, it demonstrates oxidation state +2 in most of ...

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

. The males perform a "nuptial dance" which takes place over land, above open areas or single trees, or in the lee of trees in windy weather. This swarming activity takes place between June and August, in the morning and evening and at other time of day, influenced by the temperature and amount of cloud cover. In between bouts of swarming, males rest in the vegetation. Females fly into a swarm and are inseminated from below by a male taking part in the up and down motion. The eggs are laid by the female dipping her abdomen into the surface of the water. This mayfly usually has a two-year life cycle (one- and three-year cycles have also been recorded), with the nymphal stage lasting for most of this period and the adult being on the wing briefly in summer.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q363620 Mayflies Insects of Europe Insects described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus