The photo above is a rare sight: it is unusual to see an adult of the Ephemeroptera order. As the name suggests, their lives are short. They live for a mere 24 hours—just enough time to reproduce. Males like the one in the image die shortly after copulation. The females, however, still need to fulfill their mission: to fly upstream and lay their eggs on its banks. The immature nymphs of the pictured newly described species (Cloeodes tovauna) live in the waters of the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park in eastern Minas Gerais. The insect’s presence usually indicates a healthy aquatic environment.
Image submitted by entomologist Frederico Salles, a professor at the Federal University of Viçosa
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