Mayfly Temporal range: late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) – Recent
Rhithrogena germanica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Subclass:	Pterygota
Infraclass:	Palaeoptera
Order:	Ephemeroptera

Ephemera danica, Belgium
by Luc Viatour.

Mississippi River mayfly hatch so heavy it shows up on weather radar

Mayflies are insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera (from the Greek ephemeros = ephemeral, or short-lived; pteron = wing). The name refers to the most distinctive features of the adults. They are in an ancient group of insects, the Palaeoptera, ('Ancient wings') with dragonflies and damselflies.

There are over 3,000 living species of mayfly, in over 400 genera in 42 families.