THEY say we should live for the moment as there's no time like the present. However, most of us still have tomorrow to rewatch motivational videos and get inspired all over again.
But is it true that the same cannot be said for a certain creature that only has a day to live its best life?
Verdict:
TRUE
Introducing the masters of seizing the day, the kings and queens of spring, the Lords of YOLO - all hail, the Mayfly.
Mayflies are the insects that compose the order Ephemeroptera, which translates to "short-lived with wings". Female mayflies usually live less than five minutes, while males can live up to two days.
They don’t waste a single minute as a mayfly’s only purpose in life is to mate. After more than 350 million years of evolution, mayflies have perfected the art of "live fast, die young."
An average female mayfly lays anywhere from 400 to 3,000 eggs. They are usually dropped on the water surface to develop into larvae.
It's important to mention that they spend most of their lives in the nymph stage, which lifespan can take between two weeks to two years.
However, external factors such as predators, pollution and habitat loss may impact how long they will live, even in this stage.
Mayflies lack a pupal stage as they experience partial metamorphosis. This entails passing through three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
After hatching from an egg (from spring to autumn, but not necessarily in May), they begin their immature stages in aquatic freshwater forms called naiad or nymphs.
They will then emerge from the water as a fully winged terrestrial pre-adult stage called the subimago, which moults into a sexually mature adult, the imago and once they are fully matured, it's time to 'get busy'.
Also known as shadflies, Canadian Soldiers, or up-winged flies, these small, winged creatures are the closest living relatives to the order Odonata, which contains dragonflies and damselflies.
Except for the Arctic and Antarctic, they may be found all over the world.
It's so amazing what these insects can do in a day, we can't help but wonder what we've accomplished throughout the years of our lives.
Are you motivated now? No time to lose, humans!
References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfly
2. https://a-z-animals.com/blog/mayfly-lifespan-how-long-do-mayflies-live/
