LJWorld.com / September brings plague of mayflies to Lawrence

Archive for Wednesday, September 13, 2000

September 13, 2000

Lawrence residents were surprised and unnerved Tuesday night as masses of mayflies clouded lights around the city.

About 8 p.m., the courts at the Lawrence Tennis Center were overwhelmed with thousands of the two-tailed flies. Kay Pettit, who comes to the courts four or five times a week, was surprised when she arrived to watch her husband play.

"I think you have got mayflies. They come out in huge numbers at certain seasons."

George Byers, Kansas University professor emeritus of entomology

"When I got here, there were tons of them," she said. "Those things on the court are bugs. It's making a mess of tennis when the ball squishes them."

The insects appeared downtown, probably after having originated in the Kansas River.

George Byers, Kansas University professor emeritus of entomology, said the flies usually appear this time of year.

"I think you have got mayflies. They come out in huge numbers at certain seasons. They are characterized by two long tails on the back end. The front wings are much bigger than the hind wings," he said.

The short-lived adult flies are of the order Ephemeroptera, in part because of their ephemeral lives.

"They live for months immature in the water, but they are only the wing for a very short time," Byers said. "The reason they all come out at once is they don't live very long, and they have to find a friend in a hurry."

Chip Taylor, acting chair of KU's entomology department, said he had received reports of the mayflies swirling around Burcham Park as well.

"Sometimes they emerge in such great numbers they can cause accidents on highways, but it's unusual to see those numbers here," he said.