Mayflies are the collective name for insects of the order Ephemeroptera. They are the insects with the shortest life span on earth, with the shortest life span being only one day. Mayflies are a primitive and beautiful insect that originated in the Carboniferous Period and are at least 200 million years old. They are the most primitive winged insects. Mainly distributed in tropical to temperate zones, about 30-50 species are known in the world, and about 36 species are known in my country.
Insects of the order Ephemera are slender and soft, usually 3-27mm in length, with short antennae, well-developed compound eyes, a large mesothorax, well-developed forewings and vestigial hind wings. There is a pair of very long tail whiskers at the end of the abdomen, and some species also have a central tail. The larvae are aquatic, and the adults do not eat. They have a short lifespan, generally only living for a few hours to a few days, so there is a saying of "life and death". Mayfly adults are responsible for mating and reproducing offspring during their short life.
Mayfly larvae live in a variety of freshwater habitats, most of which exist in moderate-temperature, constantly flowing living water. A few can survive in salt water, and one species even survives on land. The adult life is generally spent in flight. It is distributed all over the world except Antarctica, high Arctic latitudes and some ocean islands.
