![]() ![]() Scientists need to combine the DNA from several individuals, and each individual insect has a slightly different genome. Getting a high-quality genome from a tiny insect is tough, however. Isabel AlmudiĮvolutionary biologists are intrigued by mayflies because they and their cousin, the dragonfly, belong to an early evolving branch of the insect family tree indeed, they still look a lot like the earliest airborne insects. Fly fishermen rush out to streams when the adults emerge because they know fish will be biting.Īquatic mayfly larvae later transform into winged adults. When the temperature warms up in late spring, the muscular young, which look like miniature six-legged shrimp, crawl out of the water and molt into the delicate, two- or four-winged adults. They spend most of their lives underwater eating dead bits of leaves and other material. "īecause of their sheer numbers, mayflies are important food for birds, fish, and mammals. "It really shows that once we know the genetic makeup of a species, we can start to work out a huge amount about. The amount of information gleaned from the study is impressive, says Craig Macadam, an entomologist at the U.K.-based nonprofit insect conservation organization Buglife. They've also discovered new clues about how all insects evolved to fly in the first place. Now, by sequencing the genome of one remarkable mayfly species-whose males have a second set of skyward-pointing eyes-researchers have learned how aquatic young transform into airborne adults. There can be so many that they clog traffic, make roads slick, and even create a smelly mess. The mosquito-size insects lead double lives, with the young thriving in water and the adults emerging by the millions around June for just a few hours to mate and quickly die. Along rivers and streams around the world, mayflies are a rite of spring. ![]()
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