Leptophlebiidae
Encyclopedia
Leptophlebiidae is a family
belonging to the Ephemeropterans that are commonly known as the prong-gilled mayflies or leptophlebiids. In North America
they occur with about 70 species
from 9 genera
in freshwater streams and lakes; in Europe
they are somewhat less diverse. Globally, this family is much more prevalent and diverse, with about 2000 different species. Leptophlebiids are easily recognized by the forked gill
s present on the larva
e's abdomen, thus their common name.
e live in freshwater
streams and lakes eating detritus
and/or algae
. North American species generally cling to rocks, few physiologically
equipped for skilled swimming. Like all Ephemeropteran larave, fragile gills line the lateral margins of their abdomen
. Some genera
grow mandibular
tusks like their burrowing relatives, the Ephemeridae
, Polymitarcyidae, and Potamanthidae.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
belonging to the Ephemeropterans that are commonly known as the prong-gilled mayflies or leptophlebiids. In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
they occur with about 70 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
from 9 genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
in freshwater streams and lakes; in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
they are somewhat less diverse. Globally, this family is much more prevalent and diverse, with about 2000 different species. Leptophlebiids are easily recognized by the forked gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s present on the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e's abdomen, thus their common name.
Larvae
Leptophlebiid larvaLarva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e live in freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
streams and lakes eating detritus
Detritus
Detritus is a biological term used to describe dead or waste organic material.Detritus may also refer to:* Detritus , a geological term used to describe the particles of rock produced by weathering...
and/or algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
. North American species generally cling to rocks, few physiologically
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
equipped for skilled swimming. Like all Ephemeropteran larave, fragile gills line the lateral margins of their abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
. Some genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
grow mandibular
Mandible (insect)
Insect mandibles are a pair of appendages near the insect’s mouth, and the most anterior of the three pairs of oral appendages . Their function is typically to grasp, crush, or cut the insect’s food, or to defend against predators or rivals...
tusks like their burrowing relatives, the Ephemeridae
Ephemeridae
Ephemeridae is a family of mayflies with about 150 described species found throughout the world except Australia and Oceania. These are generally quite large mayflies with either two or three very long tails...
, Polymitarcyidae, and Potamanthidae.
Selected genera
- AcanthophlebiaAcanthophlebiaClarkeophlebia is an enigmatic and almost-unknown gelechioid moth genus. It contains a single species, Clarkeophlebia argentea, and is apparently endemic to Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia...
Towns, 1983 - Atalophlebia
- ChoroterpesChoroterpesChoroterpes is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae....
- FarrodesFarrodesFarrodes is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae.Like all other members in Leptophlebiidae, Farrodes is characterized by a flat head and lanceolate shaped gills. A key feature in identifying it is the shape of the labrum, which is more rounded at the sides than its close relatives,...
- HabrophlebiaHabrophlebiaHabrophlebia is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae....
- HabrophlebiodesHabrophlebiodesHabrophlebiodes is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae....
- LeptophlebiaLeptophlebiaLeptophlebia is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae....
- Miroculis
- NeochoroterpesNeochoroterpesNeochoroterpes is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae....
- ParaleptophlebiaParaleptophlebiaParaleptophlebia is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae. Commonly found in Britain and parts of Western Europe....
- ThraulodesThraulodesThraulodes is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae....
- TraverellaTraverellaTraverella is a genus of mayflies in the family Leptophlebiidae....