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How do different mayfly species deposit their eggs in water?
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mayfly
An adult mayfly (Ephemera vulgata) in Europe.
Different mayfly species utilize several distinct methods for oviposition (egg deposition) in water:
- Dive-bombing: Some species release a rounded mass of eggs from a height of several feet, maneuvering in a way that resembles dive-bombing.
- Surface Striking: Females may fly low over the water, repeatedly striking the surface with the tip of their abdomen to wash off a few eggs with each contact.
- Submerged Deposition: Certain females alight on an object protruding from the water, crawl beneath the surface, and deposit their eggs while fully submerged.
- Extrusion and Falling: Some females extrude eggs in two long packets that adhere to each other. These may be dropped from above, but often the female falls to the water's surface with her wings extended, squeezing out the eggs as she dies.
Additionally, a few species are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs hatch within the female's body as she dies on the surface of the water or pond.1