The Mayfly Hatch
By Jeremy Shawley
14 April 2008
Each year around the seventh of July, a prehistoric creature breaks free from its watery life source and hatches into the hot evening air along the banks of the Mississippi river. This insect, along with millions of brothers and sisters, takes over a small Wisconsin town for twenty-four hours.
As night approaches, and the skies grow dark, any light source is enough to tempt, entice and call forth this swarm. They will engulfing entire buildings and fly up to the lights. Hang onto windows, become entangled in spider webs, and even hitchhike in your hair. And at the height of the hatch, the swarm of life will be large enough to show up on weather radar ( http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2006-07-07-mayfly-radar_x.htm ).
But once their twelve to twenty-four hours is up and the mating has been a success. They will pass on, pile up on roads, ledges, sidewalks and cars. They will be cleared from bridges with snow plows and swept away by the day shift.
Quietly the next generation will wait. Just 364 days before the next invasion of the Mayfly.
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