A yearly visitor is making its presence known in our area. They have even shown up on weather radar, as there is a large number of them descending in Macomb and southern St. Clair County. The Mayfly, or commonly known by Michiganders as the Fish Fly, has 2500 different species and over 600 variations in North America alone. According to the website, Wild-Facts.com, the Mayfly is part of an ancient group of insects called Paleoptera which also includes dragonflies. Most mayfly species spend their immature lives in streams and rivers; however, there are a few that prefer the lake bed. When these lake dwellers emerge, they typically emerge in great numbers. Their life after that is fleeting. They live anywhere from 30 minutes to one-day once they emerge from their aquatic habitat. Their only function once they emerge is to mate.
