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The subimago stage does not survive for long, rarely for more than 24 hours. In some species, it may last for just a few minutes, while the mayflies in the family Palingeniidae have sexually mature subimagos and no true adult form at all.
Mayflies have an incredibly short lifespan. After the larva stage, female mayflies usually live less than five minutes, while males can live a whopping two days. But they don’t waste a single minute, spending that short period of time mating and reproducing. 3. They go by many aliases.
How Long Do Mayflies Live? Mayflies are renowned for their exceptionally short life spans, a fact that has fascinated scientists and nature lovers alike. The lifespan of mayflies can be divided into two distinct stages: the nymph stage and the adult stage.
After an interval lasting a few minutes to several days, but usually overnight, the skin is shed for the last time, and the imago, or adult stage (sometimes called a spinner), emerges. Mayflies are the only insects that molt after developing functional wings.
Surprisingly (to me at least when I first learned this) a mayfly spends most of its life living as a nymph under water. They will be a nymph for up to 2-3 years. Emerger – Once the nymph is ready to move on to the next stage in its life it needs to undergo a metamorphosis to a winged insect.
Many species of mayflies live only two hours, which isn’t enough time for them to accomplish everything they need to do to reproduce. Adult females of Dolania americana have the lowest adult lifespan of any mayfly, lasting less than five minutes.
Despite their name, mayflies are active during the warmer months of the year, not just May. They tend to be gray, yellow, or brown and have long, thin abdomens. Mayfly larvae are aquatic and found in nearly all types of water bodies, from streams to lakes.
The nymphs take anything between a few days to a number of weeks to hatch depending on water conditions and the species, and the resultant nymphs will spend various lengths of time, up to two years, foraging on the bottom before emerging as an adult fly.
One of the most remarkable aspects of a mayfly’s life cycle is its incredibly short lifespan as an adult. While the nymph stage can last for months or even years, the adult stage typically lasts for just a few hours to a few days.
How long does a mayfly live? The nymph stage of a mayfly can last between several months and two years. Adults are short-lived and typically last only a few days after emerging.