The Danish mayfly has been named 2021's Insect of the Year.

A board of trustees established by the German Entomological Institute has named an Insect of the Year every year since 1999, with the aim of honoring an insect species that deserves greater fame for its rarity, its ecological value, aesthetic value -- or even its "ordinariness."

"The Insect of the Year is intended to bring an exemplary species (and insects in general) closer to people," said an announcement from the institute.

According to the institute, the Danish mayfly is distinguished by its life cycle: while mayflies famously live just a few days once they reach maturity, their larvae take one to three years to fully develop.

During that time, they repeatedly shed their skin and develop visible gills, molting 20 to 30 times before becoming capable of flying and mating -- a number far higher than other insect orders.

The fully developed mayfly doesn't have a mouth or an intestine, so the insects have just a few days to reproduce before they die.

"Fortunately, there is no acute danger for our 'insect of the year 2021.' However, due to its special development cycle, the Danish mayfly is dependent on ecologically intact waters with sufficient oxygen content," said Axel Vogel, minister of agriculture, environment and climate protection in Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat.

Vogel added that comprehensive water protection and preservation are key to protecting the Danish mayfly "and many other organisms."

Related Links
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Leaf-cutter ant first insect found with biomineral body armour
Paris (AFP) Nov 24, 2020
A well-known leaf-cutting ant grows its own body armour using biominerals, a protective power previously unknown in the insect world, scientists have discovered in research published Tuesday showing this makes the ants almost unbeatable in battle. Biomineral armour is seen in the natural world in crustaceans like lobsters as well as in other marine animals - sea urchin spines contain calcium carbonate for example - but it has not previously been found in insects. Researchers stumbled across ... read more