Leptophlebiidae
Temporal range:
Male imago of undetermined
Atalophlebia species from
Swifts Creek, Victoria (Australia)
Nymph of Habrophlebia djurdjurensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Ephemeroptera
Suborder: Furcatergalia
Family: Leptophlebiidae
Banks, 1900
Genera

Numerous, see text

Leptophlebiidae is a family belonging to the Ephemeropterans that are commonly known as the prong-gilled mayflies or leptophlebiids. It is the only family in the superfamily Leptophlebioidea.[1] There are around 131 genera and 640 described species.[2] Leptophlebiids are easily recognized by the forked gills present on the larvae's abdomen, thus their common name.

Larvae

Leptophlebiid larvae 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 larvae, fragile gills line the lateral margins of their abdomen. Some genera grow mandibular tusks like their burrowing relatives, the Ephemeridae, Polymitarcyidae, and Potamanthidae.

Selected genera

References

  1. ↑ "Ephemoptera: Mayflies". The Tree of Life Web Project. 2002. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
  2. 1 2 Chen, Zhi-Teng; Zheng, Xuhongyi (December 2022). "First mayfly larva of Leptophlebiidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, northern Myanmar". Cretaceous Research. 140: 105354. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105354. S2CID 251962121.
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