Stonefly Life Cycle at Life

Stonefly Life Cycle. Eggs are laid by the female stonefly in the shape of a sack directly left in the river or. Stonefly eggs sink and stick to the bottom rubble and debris.

Female stoneflies lay their eggs on the water as they fly slowly over it, or let them drop freely to the water while resting on overhanging rocks or logs. Life cycle adult stoneflies live and mate near water, as their larvae are fully aquatic. Larvae are elongate, and can be readily recognized by the branched filamentous gills at the base of thoracic legs and on the first two or three abdominal sterna.

Mayfly Life Cycle ephemeroptera Pinterest Trips

Depending on species maturity takes from three months to three years. This involves passing through 3 life stages which are egg, nymph and adult stages. The nymph lives on the bottom growing in stages called instars* until it matures. For purposes of fly fishing, the stonefly life cycle consists of two stages: