Heptageniidae

The Heptageniidae (synonym: Ecdyonuridae) are a family of mayflies with over 500 described species mainly distributed in the Holarctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions, and also present in the Central American Tropics and extreme northern South America.

Description

The group is sometimes referred to as flat-headed mayflies or stream mayflies. These are generally rather small mayflies with three long tails. The wings are usually clear with prominent venation although species with variegated wings are known. As in most mayflies, the males have large compound eyes, but not divided into upper and lower parts.

Heptageniids breed mainly in fast-flowing streams, but some species use still waters. The nymphs have a flattened shape and are usually dark in colour. They use a wide range of food sources with herbivorous, scavenging, and predatory species known.

Genera

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility lists:

1. Acanthomola Template:Au
2. Afghanurus Template:Au
3. Afronurus Template:Au
4. Amerogenia Template:Au
5. Anapos Template:Au
6. Anepeorus Template:Au
7. Arthroplea Template:Au
8. Asionurus Template:Au
9. Atopopus Template:Au
10. Belovius Template:Au
11. Bleptus Template:Au
12. Burshtynogena Template:Au
13. Cinygma Template:Au
14. Cinygmula Template:Au
15. Compsoneuria Template:Au
16. Dacnogenia Template:Au
17. Darthus Template:Au
18. Ecdyogymnurus Template:Au
19. Ecdyonuroides Template:Au
20. Ecdyonurus Template:Au
21. Electrogena Template:Au
22. Epeorella Template:Au
23. Epeorus Template:Au
24. Heptagenia Template:Au
25. Ironodes Template:Au
26. Kageronia Template:Au
27. Leucrocuta Template:Au
28. Maccaffertium Template:Au
29. Macdunnoa Template:Au
30. Miocoenogenia Template:Au
31. Nestormeus Template:Au
32. Nixe Template:Au
33. Notacanthurus Template:Au
34. Notacanthurus Template:Au
35. Paegniodes Template:Au
36. Paracinygmula Template:Au
37. Parafronurus Template:Au
38. Pseudiron Template:Au
39. Pseudokageronia Template:Au
40. Raptoheptagenia Template:Au
41. Regulaneuria Template:Au
42. Rhithrogena Template:Au
43. Rhithrogeniella Template:Au
44. Spinadis Template:Au
45. Stenacron Template:Au
46. Stenonema Template:Au
47. Succinogenia Template:Au
48. Thalerosphyrus Template:Au
49. Thamnodontus Template:Au
50. Trichogenia Template:Au

The oldest described member of the family is Template:ExtinctAmerogenia from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian) aged New Jersey amber.

See also

• List of mayflies of the British Isles

External links

• Fauna Europaea
• Nomina Insecta Nearctica
• Template:Sister-inline
• Template:Commonscat inline