Mayfly: catch, storage, biting

Description

Mayfly
Mayfly (Latin Ephemeroptera - from the Greek "ephemeron" - fleeting, quickly passing, and "ptera" - wing). Mayflies are an ancient order of winged insects, including about 1,500 species, distributed throughout the globe except the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean and St. Helena Island in the Atlantic Ocean. Mayflies are formed from larvae that live in silt and clay soils below the water level.

Characteristic features of mayflies are three (less often two) thin long tail filaments at the end of the abdomen. The mass emergence of mayflies occurs in mid-summer in the evening and lasts only a few days. The emerging mayfly literally fills the entire air space above the river and falls into the water like snow flakes, which is why its second name comes from the snowstorm.

Mayfly larva, or “granny,” is also a good bait. The larvae live in the clayey soil of the underwater shore or in dense tangles of underwater plants. The larvae are whitish in color, have two antennae in front and three fleecy tails in the back.

The mayfly order is divided into several families:

Family BAETIDS (Baetidae)
. Representatives of the family live mainly in stagnant bodies of water and are characterized by legs pointing to the sides.
Family HEPTAGENIIA (Heptageniidae)
. The larvae have a moderately elongated body, flattened in the dorsoventral direction. Their legs are long, tenacious, their tail filaments are long - these larvae deftly crawl among stones and underwater plants.
Family Mayflies (Oligoneuridae)
. The larvae are distinguished by their large size and compressed body, and their tail filaments are short, shorter than the length of the body.
Family TRUE MAYFLY (Ephemeridae)
. Their larvae have an elongated cylindrical body with strong burrowing legs. These larvae dig tunnels in the clayey soil of slow-flowing rivers.
Family PROSOPISTOMIDS (Prosopistomidae)
. The larvae of this family are distinguished by a very wide, leaf-shaped, compressed body; their gills are hidden under the lateral processes of fused segments, so that they form a gill cavity. The tail appendages of these larvae resemble the fork of lower crustaceans. These larvae live in fast streams under stones.

There are about 2,000 species of mayflies known in the world. About 250 species have been recorded in Russia, about 100 of them are found in the European part. Our most common mayflies belong to the families Double-tailed, Thin-skinned, Seven-day and True mayflies. The most numerous and smallest are two-tailed mayflies. And the largest Russian species is the common mayfly, 15–20 mm long, with brown wings.

What mayflies look like

Insects of this group have an oblong body 1.5-2 cm long, which consists of 3 sections, as can be seen in the photo; the insect has 2 pairs of thin and transparent wings, rear and front.
The front pair of reticulate wings are better developed than the hind wings; they are practically undeveloped, but the entire surface of the 2 pairs is dotted with numerous spots. The wings are so fragile and delicate that any touch can destroy the structure of the mayfly. The structural features of the insect include its abdomen; at the end there are three threads, and if you take these long threads, the total length of the body of the blizzard will be 3-3.5 cm. In the front part of the abdomen there are peculiar triangular markings of a dark brown color.

The insect's pronounced head has large eyes, and in males they are always larger. There are also three pairs of legs on the body. The color of the mayfly depends on the habitat. A good photo will help you better see its structure and color.

Habitats

Mayflies are distributed throughout our planet; there are only two places in the world where there are no mayflies - the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean and in the Atlantic Ocean in St. Helena.
In our nature they are presented in several varieties.
They usually live in rivers and meadows, living in whole flocks.

Reproduction and nutrition of aquatic insects

A mature mayfly lives for only one day; almost all of its organs are underdeveloped. The emergence of blizzards occurs within a week, but the most active ones last 3–4 days, the most widespread during periods of low water levels.
The meeting of the sexes occurs en masse, you can see how insects begin to swarm, females begin to actively move at the moments of reproduction, but always monotonously. They quickly flap their wings, rising up, then glide down, freezing in flight. At this moment, the males fly up to the females, fertilize them and immediately die.
After fertilization, the females lay their larvae in water or under water, going down the plants, after which they also die. The eggs can be scattered or lying in a heap, can have different colors, and they usually cling to many objects under water, anchored at the bottom of reservoirs. Soon the larvae emerge from the eggs and after that the entire development stage is repeated again.

Larvae and development of honeydew

All larvae develop in water, feeding on the vegetation of rivers and streams, taking root well in the natural environment of reservoirs. They can always be found there, as well as in still waters. In adult mayflies, the mouth is very poorly developed, but in larvae it is excellent, thanks to this they actively feed on the remains of plant food.

In the larval stage, mayflies can live for several years; this phase lasts 2–3 years, and during this entire long period, the “grandmother” molts repeatedly, about 30 times. The last molt transfers it to the adult stage, it becomes winged, but cannot yet reproduce. After a short time (from several hours to several days), it molts again and turns into a mature mayfly, from this moment the butterfly is ready to reproduce.

Depending on the type of mayfly, their larvae can swim, crawl, and there are some that dig tunnels or attach themselves to rocks. They spend their entire lives in water, which is why they have become a favorite treat for many fish. Mayfly larvae are dirty green in color, they differ from many other individuals, they can be found in the muddy bottom, on algae, and in bottom debris. They make up about 80% of the fish diet, so they are always of interest to most fishermen.

The legs of aquatic insects are long and very well developed; they are pressed against the body, stretching back or forward when they swim, this largely depends on the species. Thanks to this structure, the larvae move quickly, making wave-like movements, but for a short time. They can only move up and down, they cannot move to the right or left, this distinguishes them from other larvae, as well as a number of other features.

Finding and catching mayflies

Mayfly larva
Around the end of June, a gradual exodus of larvae from the water begins and winged insects resembling butterflies appear. Their aerial dance cannot be confused with the dance of any other butterfly: the insect quickly flies up, then smoothly falls and takes off again. The mayfly dances in the meadows adjacent to the water. If you happen to see this, then you will already know that a mayfly larva lives in this river or stream. To find out where there are mayflies and where they are not, you need to scoop up and disassemble the coastal mud. Sometimes the presence of a larva can be detected without this: in the coastal zone, numerous holes are visible on the clay bottom - these are larval passages. The larva does not like creeks and backwaters, where there is eternal stagnation and there is not even the slightest flow of water. The mud there is stinking, and the grandmother does not live in it. There are water burros, dragonfly larvae, leeches, etc., but no mayfly nymphs. There is no granny in clean sand either, and if there is, it is very small. Most of it is on the clay bottom the color of dark ocher. Where there are a lot of larvae, collecting them is not difficult even without any auxiliary equipment. Just a piece of board or a canna lid is enough, since the depth of the hole does not exceed 6 cm. The slurry is scooped onto the shore and the whole thing is dismantled, rinsed and moistened with water. The larvae are very clearly visible: they are disturbed and they are moving, all that remains is to collect them in a spacious container. When disassembling, you need to be careful, as with any living creature: many are harmless, but there are also those that bite, such as the smooth water bug. Its sting is strong and painful, like that of a wasp. It is called the water wasp. And there’s a lot of glass everywhere now, so don’t relax.

To wash the larvae, it is most convenient to use a special scoop made of steel mesh with a cell diameter of up to 5 mm and a volume of up to 4 liters. It is attached to a long pole, and if the shore and water allow, then it can be done without a pole. When there is heavy spring water, a rinsing bucket made of mesh, like those used by bloodworms, is indispensable. They throw him into the water on a strong rope and begin to drag him to the shore with short jerks. At first the bucket slides along the bottom, but after a couple of jerks it sinks into the silt, and you slowly pull it towards you. You can tell by the heaviness that the bucket is full, then you can safely pull it out of the water. The contents are washed in it, then the remainder is poured out and the nymphs are selected. You can take an ordinary metal bucket and do everything exactly the same. After you pull it ashore, dump out the contents and disassemble it, moistening it with water. On large rivers it is absolutely impossible to do without a bucket, since the larva is located at a distance from the banks, at a depth of 1.5 to 4 m.

One of the most ancient insects

The presence of long threads on the tail gives scientists the right to claim that this mayfly is one of the most ancient.

To confirm this, paleontologist Richard Necht from the Harvard Museum of Zoology picked up an unusual stone in one of the swampy ponds. When he cracked it open, he saw inside a fossil of an insect that was over three hundred million years old. After examining the print, scientists came to the conclusion that the print depicts an ancient mayfly at the end of its flight.

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And in 2004, an entomologist from the University of Kansas, Michael Engel, discovered in a piece of flint shale the imprint of a similar moth, which is about four hundred million years old.

Mayfly for catching

The mayfly fly (an escaped specimen) and its larva are used as bait for fishing.

The first one is collected during the emergence period; roach, bream, ide, and chub bite well on it. It does not last long, dries out quickly and crumbles. You can slow down its deterioration by placing it in the refrigerator.

Small hooks are used to catch insects. Place two mayfly flies and pass the sting through the breast.

Dead mayflies are also used for fishing, but only as an additive to bait.

Adult mayfly: reproduction

When mature they reach two or three centimeters. In the caudal section, the mayfly larva has three caudal, very long filaments, which are its distinctive feature. These threads help them swim, their action is similar to flippers or a tail.

It must be said that an adult insect does not live long. Its life cycle is equal to the time required to participate in the mating flight, which takes place in the evening on the shore or over the river. From a whole swarm of males, only one representative quickly flies out and grabs the female, who is ready to reproduce. There are a large number of eggs in her body. She releases them into the water and dies herself. The morning after such a mating dance, all the banks and surface of the water are strewn with dead insects. This is how one mayfly larva ends its life cycle and a new life begins.

Features of fishing for mayfly

For fishing, short (~ 3 m) bamboo rods with a hard tip are used. The fishing line is used 0.5...0.4 mm and a piece longer than the length of the fishing rod by ~ 0.6 m. The float is used of medium size, white (highly visible at night), foam plastic; The fishing line is clamped in it with a goose feather. The weight is oval, round, weighing 10...5 g. The hooks must be sharp, with an elongated shank, of medium size; A leash of ~25 cm is required, usually made of fishing line (0.2…0.3 mm is suitable).

They go out to fish for mayflies in the dead of night. The boat is stopped at the entrance, positioned across the current, on the side of the rolling water. Right next to the side of the boat, for fun, they throw 2…3 balls of bait made from dry flies mixed with clay.

A bait of several mayflies is placed on a hook; The tackle is thrown into the water and carried out so that the bait moves just above the bottom. Because of the darkness, the fishing line is held taut with the rod. Bites are determined by the shocks that are transmitted to the hand; sometimes it can be felt by the heaviness that appears on the fishing line.

Different fish “take” differently. The float can linger in place or go under the water (this is how a chub, ide, or cheese bites), to the side (this could be a catfish), begin to tremble slightly (usually a white bream does this), lie down on the surface of the water (this indicates that a large bream has bitten ). It is usually difficult to determine what is biting and what size, so it is better to have a landing net with you.

The best time for this method of fishing is up to the first 3 days after the mayfly flies out. Then its intensity weakens and resumes later, when the flight of the fly ends (wait 2...3 weeks).

Features of mayflies

It is worth noting that such tiny creatures represent the mayfly order of insects, and have the scientific name cloene.
They are also called snowstorms. Many fish feed on them and their larvae with great pleasure. The moths fall into the water, and the fish immediately try to grab the treat and eat it. Surely you have repeatedly seen how small insects flock to the light of lanterns or the lights of steamships on warm and quiet evenings. These are mayflies. They are very easy to recognize. They have two pairs of transparent mesh wings, and the front ones are always much larger than the back ones. In calm weather it is incredibly interesting to watch their flight. They quickly flap their wings and fly up, after which they freeze and, as if on a parachute, descend down.

The Russian name “mayfly” itself speaks of the short period of existence of these creatures. They live from several hours to two days. Insects are interesting because their larval stage can last for several years, but at the same time, adult individuals have a very short period of time, which is equal to several hours or one day. This developmental paradox is difficult to explain.

Mayfly biology

The entire external organization of mayflies is perfectly adapted not so much to flight as to soaring in the air. The peculiar flight of mayflies is sometimes called “dancing.” With several flaps of its wings, the mayfly rises to a certain height, then, spreading its tail filaments and stretching its rather long legs forward, it descends, as if on a parachute, and takes off into the air again. In the imaginal stage they do not feed, their mouthparts are underdeveloped, and their intestines are filled with air. Essentially it is a balloon that makes flying easier. This is explained by the short life of the imago. It is no coincidence that they are called mayflies or ephemeris. Many species in the adult stage live only 2-3 hours, lay eggs in the water and die. Some species live 2-3 days. The life expectancy record for representatives of this order is two weeks.

Mayfly development

Almost the entire life of these insects (2-3 years) passes in the larval stage. Mayfly larvae have tracheal gills located on the sides of the abdominal segments. Larvae can always be found in fresh water bodies: among them there are swimming, crawling and burrowing forms. They can be predators, eating aquatic vegetation or filtering water.

Larvae prefer clean or slightly polluted water. Therefore, these animals can serve as an indicator of water quality in a lake or river.