Mayflies are aquatic insects that spend most of their lives in lakes and streams feeding on algae, detritus, or other larvae until they emerge as winged adults to reproduce. There are records for at least 126 different mayfly species in Michigan. Due to the short timeframe of the adult stages of their lifecycle, oftentimes ranging from a few hours to a few days, all mayflies in a population often emerge as adults at one time to optimize reproduction potential, creating a large swarm that is an easy food source for predators.
Many insects and fish feed on mayflies, in both their aquatic nymph and adult life stages, making these insects a very important part of the food chain. Mayflies are very sensitive to changes in water quality and their absence or presence in a body of water is often used by scientists as an indicator of water quality. The ability of rain gardens to slow the flow of water and create natural water filtration can help keep waters clean so mayflies can continue to flourish.
(Click on images for a larger view.)
Every dollar invested in Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council helps leverage government and foundation grants for much needed local water quality monitoring and pollution prevention, invasive species management, shoreline restoration, education, and much more.
The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Our employee identification number (EIN) is 38-2361745.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information herein; however, it cannot be guaranteed.
Unless otherwise noted, all contents of this website are property of Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council © 2023. All rights reserved.
