Why do bugs swarm over water? - Luke M. Jacobus
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For most of the world’s 4,000 mayfly species, adulthood lasts roughly one day. And for some species, it’s only a matter of minutes. This isn’t because they’re all eaten up by predators. Rather, this abridged adulthood is a natural part of their life cycle. So, what role do these bugs play in their ecosystems? Luke M. Jacobus explores the stunningly short life span of the winged insects.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Various government and citizen groups worldwide are concerned about mayflies and healthy water in their communities. Several excellent online resources have been developed to help people discover and identify mayflies and other stream invertebrates near them. Examples include this site for eastern North America, this site for the UK, and this site for New Zealand. Scientists also study many different aspects of mayflies. You can read more about current research involving mayfly biology at the Stroud Water Research Center. Purdue University keeps information about the diversity and distribution of mayflies in North & Central America and the Caribbean, and you can see cool images of mayflies there.
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Luke Jacobus
- Director Denys Spolitak
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Music Jarrett Farkas
- Sound Designer and Mixer Weston Fonger
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Producer Sazia Afrin
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
- Fact-Checker Charles Wallace