Major Group: Insecta
Order: Ephemeroptera
Family: Ameletopsidae
Genus: Mirawarra
This family is represented in Australia by a single genus, Mirawarra.
|
Descriptive Features: head prognathous or hypognathous, broad in frontal view with upper surface convex
eyes flattened
antennal length a little greater than width of head capsule
mouthparts modified for predation, maxilla with 4 apical spines, long, curved, heavily sclerotized and needle-like
legs of moderate length, tarsi 4-segmented, tarsal claws smooth
abdomen oval in cross section
gills present on abdominal segments 1-7, upper lamella plate-like with extensively branched tracheae, and lower lamella fibriliform,
gills with outer margin sclerotized, a series of small spines in apical half, strut sclerotized to about middle
inner margins of caudal filaments bearing dense fringes of setae
Total length: up to 30 mm
|
|
Mirawara megaloprepria |
|
|
|
Taxonomic Checklist: Species
Mirawara aapta Harker
Mirawara megaloprepria Riek
Mirawara purpurea Riek
|
|
Distribution: N Qld, SE Qld, NSW, Vic
Sensitivity Rating: SIGNAL grade 7
Functional Feeding Group: predators
|
|
Watchbed Creek, Falls Creek area Vic |
|
|
Ecology: Instream habitat: Mirawara nymphs occur in fast flowing cobbled streams.
Feeding ecology: Nymphs are predators feeding on smaller invertebrates such as other mayflies and chironomids. It is the only predatory mayfly in Australia.
Habit: Mirawara nymphs burrow into the substrata during the day returning to the surface at night to feed.
Life history: Females lay small clusters of eggs on the surface of riverine pools. An individual female can lay 8000 eggs. Typically the nymphal stage of the lifecycle runs from April to October. Mature nymphs undergo the final moult on the stream bed and then the subimago swims to surface to complete emergence.
|
| |
Information Sources: Dean & Suter 1996, Suter & Webb 2012a, Campbell 1999, Peters & Campbell 1991, Campbell 1988, Gooderham & Tsyrlin 2002
Key to Species: Suter & Webb 2012a (morphospecies)
Key Note: Specimens without wing pads are early instars and cannot be confidently identified at species level.
|
|
|
|
