- Cloeon dipterum s.l. is a mayfly species complex with a Holarctic distribution.
- Unlike most mayflies, Cloeon has only one pair of wings.
- Males and females have different eye structures.
- Females die shortly after laying eggs.
- Eggs hatch immediately after they are laid.
- It can molt over 10 times to complete larval development.
- Most mayfly adults live only a few hours, but the pond olive mayfly can live for a week or more.
- It is one of the few mayflies able to colonise oceanic islands, probably due to its long adult life, asexual reproduction, and ovoviviparous females.
- Mayflies had already been around for 100 million years when the dinosaurs arrived.
- Mayflies can be very abundant and an important food source for birds and fish.
In general, adults are 5-7 mm in length. Eggs from unmated females can also hatch. Nymphs raised in the laboratory have been found to regenerate some body parts in 6-9 days. Adults do not eat (or bite).
Males and females have different eye structures. Eggs hatch immediately after they are laid. Females die shortly after laying eggs.
