Pond Olive
The pond olive (Cloeon dipterum) is a small mayfly of still waters in Europe and Asia. It is unusual among mayflies in laying eggs that hatch immediately and in having only a single pair of wings.
The pond olive (Cloeon dipterum) is a small mayfly of still waters in Europe and Asia. It is unusual among mayflies in laying eggs that hatch immediately and in having only a single pair of wings.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Pond Olive in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Two Wings Only
Unlike most mayflies, the pond olive has no hindwings. The name dipterum, "two-winged", reflects this feature. It can fly well without them.
Live-Bearing Mayfly
The female retains her eggs until they are ready to hatch and releases the young nymphs onto the surface of the water as she lays. This ovoviviparity is rare in insects.
A Pond Dweller
Nymphs swim among pond plants and feed on algae and detritus, with several generations in a year. See Common Mayfly.
Pond Olive at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Cloeon dipterum |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Ephemeroptera |
| Family | Baetidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Hexapoda (Insects) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Small olive-brown flier with only one pair of wings and two long tails; females hold their eggs until they hatch, then release live nymphs into ponds. |
| Order | Ephemeroptera |
| Wings | One pair |