ATTACK OF THE FISHFLIES
They're back. Every year about this time near the shores of Lake St. Clair, alien swarms of fishflies head inland, covering moist storefronts, salty street signs, and wet pavement. You can hear them crunch as cars roll over them, find their eerie little corpses everywhere from Jefferson to Mack Avenue. After a week or two, there's nothing left but dried out husks. Is this God's sense of humor, or the Devil's? Mayflies in June, treats for all. Eat, mate and die. It's a wonderful life. Do fishflies dream? Are they reincarnated into something longer-lived? Or is there no purpose at all besides providing food for the fishes, and food for thought? To sleep, perchance, to dream. Poor little things. Shakespeare and fishflies -- what a world!
3 comments:
Hey Erik,
As the event coordinator of "Don't Bug Me" for Macomb County's Elementary Science Olympiad, I learned that there is actually a difference between Fishflies and Mayflies. The following two questions appeared at the S.O. competition where 80 schools compete (see if you can answer them - fishfly or mayfly):
Q1: The only insect that develops wings before reaching maturity is the _________.
Q2: The most popular models of artificial flies were modeled after the _________.
Both insects belong to different orders too. Mayflies belong to Ephemeroptera which means "to live but a day." Fishflies belong to Neuroptera. So what are we looking at in Michigan? I'm still puzzled by it, but I think they're Mayflies (which is also the answer to both questions). --Jim
Jim,
Excellent! Thanks for the clarification. "If there is one thing in this world of which I know positively nothing, it is agriculture." -- Wellington. As a teacher/librarian/writer, if I know absolutely nothing about something, I'll venture a guess anyway ;) Glad to have that cleared up. For here, couldn't we rename them Juneflies?
Erik,
You are right on! I've often thought they should be called Juneflies, just like Junebugs.
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