mayfly
Day-long adult insect
A mayfly is a delicate winged insect with a remarkably brief adult lifespan—often just a day or two.
Mayflies emerge in swarms near freshwater, mate, and die, having spent months or years as aquatic larvae.
The name captures this ephemeral existence: they appear in May (or summer generally) and live only long enough to reproduce.
Mayflies coated the windshield near the lake.
Coming into existence
- hatchOpening in deck or floor
- moltingPeriodic shedding of covering
- instarArthropod developmental stage
- imagoInsect's final form
dun · spinner · metamorphosis · larva · shuck · emerger · molt · egg-laying
Nature spirit or larva
- streamSteady continuous flow
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
- gillsAquatic respiratory organs
- siltWaterborne earth particles
drift · currents · benthic · riffle · pool · creek · river · substrate
Lasting only briefly
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- briefShort in duration
- momentaryLasting very briefly
temporary · impermanent · evanescent · passing · hours · day · fragile · delicate
Six-legged invertebrate
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- fishflyWinged aquatic insect
- entomologyStudy of insects
order · species · genus · fauna · winged · tails · forewings · hindwings
Freshwater game fish
- anglingRecreational hook-and-line pursuit
- artificialMade, not natural
- imitationCopy of the original
- AdamsCommon presidential surname
emergence
Coming into existence
- hatchOpening in deck or floor
- moltingPeriodic shedding of covering
- instarArthropod developmental stage
imago · dun · spinner · metamorphosis · larva · shuck · emerger · molt · egg-laying · oviposition
nymph
Nature spirit or larva
- streamSteady continuous flow
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
- gillsAquatic respiratory organs
silt · drift · currents · benthic · riffle · pool · creek · river · substrate · detritus
short-lived
Lasting only briefly
momentary · temporary · impermanent · evanescent · passing · hours · day · fragile · delicate · mortality
insect
Six-legged invertebrate
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- fishflyWinged aquatic insect
entomology · order · species · genus · fauna · winged · tails · forewings · hindwings · segmented
trout
Freshwater game fish
- anglingRecreational hook-and-line pursuit
- artificialMade, not natural
- imitationCopy of the original
Adams · Hendrickson · Sulphur
mayflytortoise
Land-dwelling shelled reptile
Galápagos tortoise · bristlecone pine · giant sequoia · bowhead whale · giant tortoise
mayflyeternity
Boundless temporal existence
permanence · immortality · enduring · everlasting · the eternal