Solvin Zankl / Mating swarm of Long-tailed / Tisza mayflies (Palingenia longicauda) Tisza river, Hungary, Every female is approached by several mature males. Eventually the female mates with one of them on the water...

Solvin Zankl / Mating swarm of Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly(Palingenia longicauda) Every female is approached by several mature males. Eventually the female mates with one of them on the water surface. June 2008

Solvin Zankl / Aquatic larva of the Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly(Palingania longicauda) shoveling and digging. These larvae live for several years in the clay of the river bed of the Tisza River. Hungary, Central Euro...

Solvin Zankl / Aquatic larva of the Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly(Palingania longicauda) These larvae live for several years in the clay of the river bed of the Tisza River. Hungary, Central Europe.

Solvin Zankl / Female Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly (Palingani a longicauda) rise up in the air soon after mating, where they form huge swarms and are out of range from males still searching for mates close to the wate...

Solvin Zankl / Female Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly (Palingani a longicauda) rise up in the air soon after mating, where they form huge swarms and are out of range from males still searching for mates close to the wate...

Solvin Zankl / Just three hours after they hatch from the water and moult into mature adults, the male Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly (Palingenia longicauda) perish. Adult mayflies have no mouth opening and no guts. The...

Solvin Zankl / Immediately after hatching from their aquatic larval skin the subadult male Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly(Palingania longicauda) flies towards the river bank to land on a leaf. Here it will undergo its l...

Solvin Zankl / Immediately after hatching from their aquatic larval skin the subadult male Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly (Palingania longicauda) flies towards the river bank to land on a leaf. Here it will undergo its...

Solvin Zankl / Male Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly (Palingania longicauda) concludes its last moult. By starting to fly hard towards the river the mayfly pulls its long caudal tails out of the old skin which will be lef...

Solvin Zankl / Male and female Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly (Palingania longicauda) mating, River Tisza, Hungary, Central Europe. June 2008

Solvin Zankl / Male Long-tailed / Tisza mayfly (Palingania longicauda) undergoing moult, River Tisza, Hungary, Central Europe. June The old skin opens at the back of the animal and will be left behind on the leaf l...