Hexagenia
| Hexagenia | |
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| Hexagenia limbata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Ephemeroptera |
| Family: | Ephemeridae |
| Genus: | Hexagenia |
| Species | |
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Hexagenia is a genus of mayfly in the family Ephemeridae, the common burrower mayflies.
This genus contains the following species :
Hexagenia are commonly referred to as burrower mayflies as they create u-shaped tunnels in the aquatic substrate where they reside. This shape allows them to draw in water from the surrounding areas by undulating their body near the mouth of the tunnel. Hexagenia feed upon microscopic organisms suspended in the water column and thus draw in all the food and oxygen they require. Therefore, these burrowing mayflies are often found in shallow substrates of streams and lakes, specifically in areas of slow current.
Hexagenia is similar in size and appearance to Pentagenia. The main difference is the rounded frontal process adjacent to the mandibular tusks in Hexagenia. In Pentagenia, this frontal process comes to a point.
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