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media type="custom" key="3767257" This term we are focusing on taking action for water. A lot of our streams and rivers are deemed polluted, and are becoming unsuitable habitats for creatures that should be living there. We want to learn about the insect who are losing their homes, and how we can help them. toc

__The Life Of A Mayfly__
Many of us wish for riches, fame and marriage in our adult life and we have many years to reach these goals. But mayflies, who have an aim in life as well, only have from 30 minutes to a couple of days of adult life to achieve their goal.

A mayfly is an insect that belongs to the Order Ephemeroptera (from the Greek ephemeros meaning short-lived and pteron meaning wing). Mayflies are placed in an ancient insect family called Palaeoptera which also includes dragonflies and damselflies. A mayfly will usually have two long tails but some species are known to have three. They are on average 18 mm long. Most species are brown or reddish-brown colour, but some can be even lime green.

Mayflies need clean, unpolluted water to live in, and are usually found in still or flowing water. If their habitat changes and becomes unsuitable, a mayfly nymph will let go of the rocks and drift with the current. They will move many meters downstream to find a better habitat.

As a nymph a mayfly needs a lot of oxygen. They fulfill this need by living in the fast-flowing riffles of the stream where the oxygen mixes into the water. They breathe through tracheal gills on their abdomen. When the mayfly is an adult they breathe through spiracles, which are small respiratory openings on the body of the insect.

Mayflies nymphs eat vegetation growing on rocks and the stems of large water plants. As an adult a mayfly actually has no mouthparts, so during their short adult life they don’t eat a thing. Mayfly nymphs and adults are considered a very important food source for freshwater fish like bass, catfish and perch.

A mayflies life cycle is a long process. Firstly, the egg matures into a nymph. The nymph will live on the bottom of the stream for about a year, growing in stages until it matures. Once matured, the nymph will swim to the surface and shed it’s skin, becoming a sub-adult. The sub-adult will float on the top of the water drying it’s wings until they have dried enough to take flight. The sub-adult will then make it’s way into the bushes and shed for one last time. The mayfly is now an adult. The adult will soon fly out of the bushes to find a mate. After mating, the female adult releases her eggs into the water, and straight after both male and female mayflies will drop into the water and die.

Mayflies need fresh and clean water to live in. With all the pollution we are causing and and all the rubbish we are dumping into our streams we are destroying their environment. Our human activities are having a huge effect on mayflies and their habitats. To help these insects we need to try and keep the streams clean and watch where we dump our rubbish. Anything we can do to help the environment will help these creatures.

A mayfly is definitely an interesting insect. How many living things do you know that never eat throughout their whole adult life? We must learn to watch out for the mayfly and it’s relatives. I think the mayflies lifestyle is something we could all learn something from. They only have a short time to live and make the most of each second.

By Sophie Adams

R E S O U R C E S:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfly

http://www.critterzone.com/magazineresource/magazine-article-mayfly-shadfly-Ephemerida-may-flies.htm

http://www.jerryhadden.com/insects/mayflycyc.html

__Catchment Areas__
A catchment area is somewhere surrounded by mountains and ridges. This is where rain that has fallen makes its way down the mountains into rivers and streams which eventually lead into lakes and the sea. Some water travels underground to get to the ocean. After reaching the sea water evaporates into the sky to form clouds. When the clouds are full it starts to rain. The mountains catch the water and all begins again.

__Paua__
I have never eaten Paua before. I don’t know much about how you catch it, except that the public can’t take more than ten Paua a day. Each Paua has to be at least 125 millimeters long, or else they are undersize and you can’t take them. They are collected by divers, who are only allowed to free-dive, as the use of air tanks is prohibited. To cook it, I think you’d first need to remove the Paua from the shell. Once it’s out of the shell you would probably boil the Paua for a few minutes, or until it is cooked. You might want to season it before you eat it. I think Paua would taste pretty bland. The outside might be a bit chewy and tough, and I imagine the insides might be a bit slimy. If you put some nice seasonings on it then the Paua would probably taste a bit better.

__Crayfish__
I don’t know much about crayfish either. I know most people catch them with a crayfish pot, but some catch them while diving. They also have to be at least 60 millimeters long o be collected. Once Mum’s friend caught some crayfish and gave one to her. I remember that it was still alive when she cooked it. She boiled it in saltwater for a while then put it straight into cold water. I felt so sorry for the poor critter being boiled alive that I chose not to eat any. It did smell good though. I imagine it would be a bit salty. It would probably be soft and taste a lot like fish.