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Genus Hexagenia

mayfly - Hexagenia Mayfly: Hexagenia species? - Hexagenia limbata large Mayfly - Hexagenia limbata - female Mayfly - Hexagenia bilineata mayfly - Hexagenia limbata Mayfly naiad - Hexagenia Mayfly - Hexagenia limbata Hexagenia limbata or close relative - Hexagenia limbata
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
Family Ephemeridae (Common Burrower Mayflies)
Genus Hexagenia
Other Common Names
Burrowing Mayfly, Giant Mayfly, Golden Mayfly
Explanation of Names
Author of genus is Walsh 1863
Numbers
5 spp. in our area(1)
Size
14-30 mm
Identification
Very large mayflies. Usually pale golden yellow at least when freshly emerged, i.e., subimago. Several species dark with bold striped pattern as mature imagos. Wings not uniformly dark, as are some other genera of this family. Pale brown band across abdomen. Antennae, legs, and tails yellow. (Photographs show either pale golden mayflies--probably subimagos, or very dark individuals, full imagoes?) H. limbata is very large (18-30 mm), widespread in east. H. bilineata is smaller, 14-18 mm, and is common in southeast.
Naiads have three anal filaments.
Range
all spp. occur in the east, H. limbata throughout NA, H. bilineata ranges to sw. US(1)
Habitat
streams, lakes
Season
Summer. May-September
Life Cycle
Eggs are dropped onto water surface, sink to bottom. Larvae (naiads) burrow in muddy bottoms of streams, lakes at up to 20 meters (60 feet) in depth. They usually spend one year in this stage, perhaps two in northern areas. Adults emerge in evening, disperse widely, coming to lights--often far from bodies of water.
Works Cited
1.Mayfly Central