Drake mackerel
The drake mackerel is a mayfly that grows up in the mud at the bottom of ponds and slow rivers. It spends almost two years down there as a nymph. Then it flies as a grown-up for just a short time in summer.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
Its nymphs dig burrows in the mud and wave their feathery gills to breathe in the low-oxygen water.
From June to August the males dance in swarms, flying up and down over open ground or around trees.
The female lays her eggs by dipping the tip of her body into the water.
It is becoming rarer because of dirty water and because bright lights at night confuse the grown-ups.
Most asked questions about Drake mackerel
?How long does the drake mackerel live?
Most of its life, usually about two years, is spent as a nymph in the mud. The grown-up only lives a short time in summer.
?Is the drake mackerel dangerous?
No. It cannot bite or sting.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Ephemera vulgata
- Group
- Other insects
- Family
- Ephemeridae
- Classification
- Insecta > Ephemeroptera > Ephemeridae
- Lives on
- Europe
Where the facts come from
- Ephemera vulgata (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Bj.schoenmakers. CC0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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