Photo of the Week

Mayfly Subimago
Mayfly Subimago
Hexagenia sp., Ephemeridae
Grant Narrows, Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada
Nikon D5100, 105 mm f/2.8
June 30, 2013

This week we have another photo from Grant Narrows. I caught this Mayfly along the dike between Pitt Lake and Katzie Marsh. I was actually able to pull this large yellowish mayfly right out of the air and pose it nicely on a post. This is one of the larger mayflies in the province at near 4 cm dwarfing some of the more diminutive species which can be as small as 2 mm. This particular individual is an subimago, a life-stage unique to the Ephemeroptera. The subimago is winged but has immature legs and genitalia and its body and wings are covered with a dense layer of waterproof hairs. These hairs gives the subimago a distinct coloration relative to the adult. After about a day this subimago will molt a final time into a short lived adult.