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Ephemeroptera

Mayflies

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Classification from Peters and Campbell (1991), in Insects of Australia.
Containing group: Pterygota

Introduction

Adults do not eat. Immatures are aquatic, feeding on diatoms, algae, or are carnivores.

Carboniferous to Recent.

Ephemeros - short-lived, pteron - wing, referring to the short life span of adults.

Characteristics

Derived characteristics: In addition, mayflies moult after they have fully-formed, functional wings. Presence of a winged, pre-adult stage ("subimago") is unique among insects.

Other Names for Ephemeroptera

References

Bae, Y. J. and W. P. McCafferty. 1991. Phylogenetic systematics of the Potamanthidae (Ephemeroptera). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 117(3-4):1-144.

Bae, Y. J. and W. P. McCafferty. 1998. Phylogenetic systematics and biogeography of the Neoephemeridae (Ephemeroptera: Pannota). Aquatic Insects 20(1):35-68.

Dominguez, E. and M. G. Cuezzo. 2002. Ephemeroptera egg chorion characters: A test of their importance in assessing phylogenetic relationships. Journal of Morphology 253(2):148-165.

Edmunds, G. F. and W. P. McCafferty. 1988. The mayfly subimago. Annual Review of Entomology 33:509-529.

Gereben-Krenn, B. A. and G. Pass. 2000. Circulatory organs of abdominal appendages in primitive insects (Hexapoda: Archaeognatha, Zygentoma and Ephemeroptera). Acta Zoologica 81(4):285-292.

Harker, J. E. 1999. The structure of the foregut and midgut of nymphs, subimagos and imagos of Cloeon dipterum (Ephemeroptera) and the functions of the gut of adult mayflies. Journal of Zoology 248:243-253.

Lugo-Ortiz, C. R. and W. P. McCafferty. 1998. A new North American genus of Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) and key to Baetis complex genera. Entomological News 109(5):345-353.

McCafferty, W. P. 1987. New fossil mayfly in amber and its relationships among extant Ephemeridae (Ephemeroptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 80(4):472-474.

McCafferty, W. P. 1990. Ephemeroptera. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 0(195):20-50.

McCafferty, W. P. 1991. Toward a phylogenetic classification of the Ephemeroptera (Insecta) - A commentary on systematics. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 84(4):343-360.

McCafferty, W. P. 1996. The Ephemeroptera species of North America and index to their complete nomenclature. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 122 (1):1-54.

McCafferty, W. P. and R. D. Waltz. 1990. Revisionary synopsis of the Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) of North and Middle America. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 116(4):769-800.

McCafferty, W. P. and T. Q. Wang. 2000. Phylogenetic systematics of the major lineages of pannote mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Pannota). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 126(1):9-101.

Ogden, T. H. and M. F. Whiting. 2005. Phylogeny of Ephemeroptera (mayflies) based on molecular evidence. Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution 37(3):625-643.

Pescador, M. L. and W. L. Peters. 1986. Revision of the genera Meridialaris and Massartellopsis (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae) from South America. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 112(3):147-190.

Pescador, M. L. and W. L. Peters. 1991. Biosystematics of the genus Penaphlebia (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae) from South America. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 117(1-2):1-38.

Peters, W. L. and I. C. Campbell. 1991. Ephemeroptera. Pages 279-293 in Insects of Australia: A Textbook for Students and Research Workers. Volume I. Second Edition. I. D. Naumann, P. B. Carne, J. F. Lawrence, E. S. Nielsen, J. P. Spradberry, R. W. Taylor, M. J. Whitten and M. J. Littlejohn eds. Carlton, Victoria, Melbourne University Press.

Ruffieux, L., J. M. Elouard, and M. Sartori. 1998. Flightlessness in mayflies and its relevance to hypotheses on the origin of insect flight. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 265(1410):2135-2140.

Savage, H. M. 1987. Biogeographic classification of the Neotropical Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera) based upon geological centers of ancestral origin and ecology. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 22(4):199-222.

Savolainen, E., A. Saura, and J. Hantula. 1993. Mode of swarming in relation to reproductive isolation in mayflies. Evolution 47(6):1796-1804.

Soldan, T. 1982. A revision of the Caenidae with ocellar tubercles in the nymphal stage (Ephemeroptera). Acta Universitatis Carolinae Biologica (5-6):289-362.

Staniczek, A. H. 2000. The mandible of silverfish (Insecta: Zygentoma) and mayflies (Ephemeroptera): Its morphology and phylogenetic significance. Zoologischer Anzeiger 239(2):147-178.

Wang, T. Q. and W. P. McCafferty. 1995. Relationships of the Arthropleidae, Heptageniidae, and Pseudironidae (Ephemeroptera: Heptagenioidea). Entomological News 106(5):251-256.

Wang, T. Q., W. P. McCafferty, and Y. J. Bac. 1997. Sister relationship of the Neoephemeridae and Caenidae (Ephemeroptera: Pannota). Entomological News 108(1):52-56.

Wang, T. Q. and W. P. McCafferty. 2004. Heptageniidae (Ephemeroptera) of the world. Part I: Phylogenetic higher classification. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 130 (1): 11-45.

Information on the Internet

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Hexagenia sp.
Location Kansas City, Kansas, USA
Comments Yellow Drake Mayfly
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Copyright © 2003 Alex Wild
Scientific Name Ephemeroptera
Location Washoe Co., Nevada, U.S.A.
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Life Cycle Stage Adult
Copyright © 2004 Alex Wild
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Citing this page:

Tree of Life Web Project. 2002. Ephemeroptera. Mayflies. Version 01 January 2002 (temporary). http://tolweb.org/Ephemeroptera/8265/2002.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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