蜉蝣目（Ephemeroptera）源自希臘語“ephemera”，意為「短命」，以及“ptera”，意為「翅膀」，這是指大多數成蟲蜉蝣的短暫生命週期。

Greek Origins of Name: Ephemeroptera is derived from the Greek “ephemera” meaning short-lived, and “ptera” meaning wings. This is a reference to the short lifespan of most adult mayflies.

種的俗名 Common names of members

蜉蝣

Mayflies

分佈 Distribution

除了南極洲外，分布於每個大洲。

Every continent except Antarctica

形態描述 Morphology

細長的腹部

2或3根線狀尾巴

2個大型復眼和3個單眼（單眼）

大型脈絡的三角形前翅

小或缺失的圓形後翅

短而毛狀的觸角

Long thin abdomen

2 or 3 threadlike tails

2 large compound eyes and 3 ocelli (simple eyes)

Large veiny membranous triangular forewings 

Small or absent rounded hindwings

Short and bristle-like antennae

生態與棲息地 Habitat & Ecology

淡水棲息地，如腐爛的植被、岩石下或沉積物中（幼蟲期）。

Freshwater habitats in decaying vegetation, under rocks or in sediment (nymph)

食性 Diet

幼蟲以腐植質、藻類和矽藻為食；成蟲不進食。

Nymphs feed on detritus, algae, and diatoms; adults do not feed

小知識 Fun Fact

蜉蝣的族群通常會同時成熟。這些蜉蝣成蟲的壽命很短（通常不超過24小時），並且具有非功能性的口器和消化道。蜉蝣成蟲的唯一目的是交配，在這一天，可以看到大量蜉蝣從水中湧現。交配後，成蟲會死亡，雌性則會落到水面上。她們的受精卵會沉入水中，然後重覆這個循環。

The mayfly population often matures all at once. These mayfly adults do not live for long (rarely more than 24 hours) and have non-functional mouthparts and digestive tracts. Mayfly adults' only purpose is to mate and during that day, swarms of mayflies can be seen emerging from the water. After mating, the adults will die and females fall onto the water surface. Their fertilized eggs sink into the water and the cycle repeats.

已知的物種 Total species known

3,000

博物館收藏的物種 Species in the collection

58

在香港已知的物種 Species in Hong Kong

73

Reference

• Carpenter, F.M., 1992. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part R, Arthropoda 4, vol. 3. The Geological Society of America, Inc. and the University of Kansas, Boulder, CO.

• Edmunds, George F., Jr., Steven L. Jensen, & Lewis Berner, 1976. The Mayflies of North and Central America. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.

• Harker, Janet, 1989. Mayflies. Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd., England.

• Hubbard, Michael D. & Jarmila Kukolova-Peck, 1980. Permian Mayfly Nymphs: New Taxa and Systematic Characters. Pp. 18-31 in John F. Flanagan & K. Eric Marshall (eds.), Advances in Ephemeroptera Biology. Plenum Press, New York.

• McCafferty, W. P. Ephemeroptera. Bulletin of the Amercian Museum of Natural History, No. 195.

• Riek, E. F., 1973. The Classification of the Ephemeroptera. Pp. 160-178 in William L. Peters & Janice G. Peters (eds.), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Ephemeroptera. E. J. Brill, Leiden.

• Sinitshenkova, N. D., 1991. New Mesozoic Mayflies (Ephemerida) from Mongolia. Paleontological Journal 25(1): 116-125.

• Barber-James HM, Gattolliat J-L, Sartori M, Hubbard MD (2008) Global diversity of mayflies (Ephemeroptera, Insecta) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595: 339–350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007- 9028-y

• Jacobus LM, Macadam CR, Sartori M (2019) Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and Their Contributions to Ecosystem Services. Insects 10: e170. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10060170

• Lancaster, Jill; Downes, Barbara J. (2013). Aquatic Entomology. Oxford University Press. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-0-19-957322-6.

• Tong, X. & Dudgeon, D. (2003) Two new species of Heptageniidae from China (Insecta, Ephemeroptera). Acta Zootaxonomia Sinica 28: 469-473.

• Tong, X. & Dudgeon, D. (2002) Three new species of the genus Caenis (Ephemeroptera, Caenidae) from Hong Kong, China. Zoological Research 23: 232-238.

• Tong, X. & Dudgeon, D. (2000) Ephemerellidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from Hong Kong, China, with descriptions of two new species. Aquatic Insects 22: 197-207.

• Dudgeon, D. (1996) Life histories, secondary production and microdistribution of heptageniid mayflies (Ephemeroptera) in a tropical forest stream. Journal of Zoology, London 240: 341-361.