Mayfly Time

Yesterday was a great day to hunt for critters with nets along the shore of the Hillsborough River!  My class found Dragonfly Nymphs, Tadpoles, Apple Snails and, my favorite, the Mayfly Nymph!  Once we get the kids outfitted in water shoes and nets, we set them loose to collect critters and place them in a small plastic bin (one for each group of 4-5 students).  These kids were so excited and their shouts of joy and surprise filled the air!

Have you ever had a favorite teacher; one that inspired you to pursue your dreams?  I had many, and one of those was Patty Vick.  She taught at Henderson Mill Elementary on the northeast side of Atlanta.  She took our class on many trips to the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta and one special trip to the Marine Institute on Skidaway Island, GA.  I remember all of those trips because I was "in my element"!  I was just like that girl in my last post!  Every time I take my students to shoreline sampling class, like today, I think of Patty Vick and try be the teacher she was for me!  Post comments below of memories of you favorite teacher, in honor of teacher appreciation week (last week)!

Back to the class; the reason I love the mayfly nymph is because at first, it looks kind of ugly to most; but then it moves and it is stunning in its graceful and flowing beauty!  I have attached a very short video here so you can see what I mean!  (Plus you can hear the excited screams of my kids collecting critters!)  Before you look at it though, know this; the Mayfly Nymph lives in the water for up to a year, going through several molts as they grow, then emerges from the water, going through two flying stages before they die.  They are the ONLY insect to have two flying stages!  They live in their final, adult stage for less than a day!

Here is  the video I shot of the Mayfly after my student said "I like the way it moves...kind of a rippling effect!"  Those things that ripple, those are its gills!  The bigger the gills, the calmer the water!  They need larger gills in order to get more oxygen into their bodies!  Enjoy the excitement!

Mayfly Nymph - Hillsborough River

Link to YouTube Video (for use on Mobile Devices);
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW1uWQkNnWw&feature=youtu.be

Source: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/ephemeroptera.html