Mayflies Mating

River Thames, Wittenham, UK

A female Mayfy (Ephemeroptera) clinging to a Buttercup while two males attempt to mate. Such is the ephemeral life cycle of the adult Maylfy (they live as little as a day in winged form) that the males usually die, spent, soon after mating and the females a little later after spawning. There was a big hatch of Mayflies on the Thames this particular day.