Re: Oh perleees...
In some species of mayflies, the adults survive for, what seems to us, at least, incredibly short periods of time, some only about a day. In this time period they emerge from the water, mate, lay eggs and die.
In fact, their order name, Ephemeroptera, comes from the seemingly ephemeral nature of their existence.
However, this does not take into account the fact that, prior to their emergence into the air, they have been living for months as water nyads (nymphs), gaily gamboling beneath the surface of streams and ponds, feeding, ever feeding, waiting for the day when they make their way through the surface film, wiggle free of their juvenile, aquatic bonds, gracefully take flight ... and get laid.