COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF INSECTS 



31 



EPHEMEROPTERA 



Ephemeroptera (Mayflies) are delicate insects with two pairs of 

 triangular-shaped wings with many veins, the front pair large, the 

 hind pair small. They have long front legs and two or three very long, 

 taillike appendages. The mouth parts of the adults are vestigial ; 

 those of the immature stages are fitted for chewing. (See fig. 20.) 

 The immature stages are aquatic and do not resemble the adults. 

 The adults are common around water, especially in spring, when they 

 often emerge in enormous numbers. They are an important fish food. 



Figure 21. — Odonata. Plathemis lydia (Drury ) , a dragonfly. Actual length about 



45 mm. 



Figure 22. — Odonata. 



Enallagma exsulans Hagen, a damselny 

 about 40 mm. 



A dual length 



