﻿Order 
  EPHEMERIDA. 
  

  

  The 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  order 
  are 
  popularly 
  known 
  as 
  "May 
  flies" 
  because 
  

   of 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  their 
  greatest 
  abundance, 
  or 
  "day 
  flies" 
  because 
  of 
  their 
  

   short 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  stage. 
  The 
  ordinal 
  term 
  here 
  used 
  is 
  based 
  upon 
  

   this 
  same 
  peculiarity 
  in 
  their 
  life 
  cycle. 
  The 
  adults 
  have 
  two 
  pairs 
  of 
  

   wings, 
  very 
  closely 
  net-veined, 
  frail 
  in 
  texture, 
  and 
  the 
  anterior 
  much 
  

   larger 
  than 
  the 
  posterior. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  large, 
  set 
  on 
  a 
  distinct 
  neck, 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  parts 
  are 
  aborted, 
  the 
  eyes 
  prominent 
  and 
  the 
  antennae 
  very 
  short. 
  

   The 
  body 
  is 
  loosely 
  jointed 
  and 
  the 
  abdomen 
  has 
  long 
  anal 
  filaments, 
  

   varying 
  from 
  three 
  to 
  five 
  in 
  number. 
  Ttie 
  insects 
  are 
  attracted 
  to 
  light 
  

   and 
  on 
  favorable 
  evenings 
  in 
  early 
  summer 
  often 
  come 
  in 
  swarms 
  to 
  the 
  

   electric 
  lights 
  in 
  cities 
  or 
  towns 
  on 
  lake 
  or 
  river 
  banks. 
  The 
  early 
  stages 
  

   are 
  passed 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  larvae 
  feeding 
  in 
  the 
  mud 
  and 
  ooze, 
  some- 
  

   times 
  for 
  a 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  years, 
  before 
  they 
  attain 
  maturity. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  many 
  interesting 
  and 
  peculiar 
  

   structures 
  in 
  this, 
  perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  ancient 
  of 
  

   the 
  existing 
  types 
  of 
  insects, 
  and 
  the 
  enormous 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  individuals 
  that 
  still 
  occur, 
  even 
  

   though 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  is 
  limited, 
  indi- 
  

   cates 
  the 
  richness 
  in 
  organic 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  bottoms 
  

   in 
  which 
  they 
  feed. 
  They 
  are 
  not 
  of 
  economic 
  

   importance 
  from 
  any 
  point 
  of 
  view. 
  

  

  POLYMITARCYS 
  Eaton. 
  

   P. 
  albus 
  Say. 
  New 
  Brunswick 
  in 
  July. 
  

  

  HEXAGENIA 
  Walsh. 
  

  

  H. 
  bilineata 
  Say. 
  Caldwell 
  (Cr) 
  ; 
  New 
  Bruns- 
  

   wick 
  (Coll); 
  Westville 
  VI, 
  Riverton 
  VII, 
  

   (Jn). 
  

  

  H. 
  limbata 
  Pict. 
  Echo 
  Lake, 
  Passaic 
  Co. 
  VII, 
  

   2, 
  Normannock 
  VII 
  (Ds). 
  

  

  Fig. 
  

  

  adult 
  May-fly. 
  

  

  EPHEMERA 
  Linn. 
  

   E. 
  decora 
  Wlk. 
  Caldwell, 
  common 
  (Cr). 
  

  

  LEPTOPHLEBIA 
  Westw. 
  

  

  L. 
  cupida 
  Say. 
  (Blasturus) 
  Great 
  Piece 
  Meadows 
  IV, 
  10-28, 
  very 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  (Gr); 
  Caldwell 
  (Cr); 
  Ft. 
  Lee 
  V, 
  1, 
  Staten 
  Island 
  IV, 
  17, 
  27 
  

   (Ds); 
  Jamesburg, 
  Trenton 
  IV, 
  30, 
  Lahaway 
  IV, 
  1 
  (Coll); 
  Westville 
  

   IV, 
  9 
  (Jn). 
  

  

  (37) 
  

  

  