mayflyThe mayfly Ephemera vulgata.
mayfly, Any insect of the order Ephemeroptera, found around streams and ponds. The approximately 2,000 species are up to 1.6 in. (4 cm) long, have triangular membranous forewings, smaller round hind wings, and two or three long, threadlike tails. Wings are held vertically when at rest. Chewing mouthparts in the aquatic larvae are vestigial in the adult, which lives just long enough to mate and reproduce. Males “dance” in large swarms to attract females. The adult’s entire life span is usually only a few hours (though at least one species lives as long as two days), and poets have used the mayfly as a symbol of life’s ephemeral nature.