Heptageniidae


The Heptageniidae are a family of mayflies with over 500 described species mainly distributed in the Holarctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions, and also present in the Central American Tropics and extreme northern South America.

Description

The group is sometimes referred to as flat-headed mayflies or stream mayflies. These are generally rather small mayflies with three long tails. The wings are usually clear with prominent venation although species with variegated wings are known. As in most mayflies, the males have large compound eyes, but not divided into upper and lower parts.
Heptageniids breed mainly in fast-flowing streams, but some species use still waters. The nymphs have a flattened shape and are usually dark in colour. They use a wide range of food sources with herbivorous, scavenging, and predatory species known.

Genera

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility lists:
  1. Acanthomola
  2. Afghanurus
  3. Afronurus
  4. Amerogenia
  5. Anapos
  6. Anepeorus
  7. Arthroplea
  8. Asionurus
  9. Atopopus
  10. Belovius
  11. Bleptus
  12. Burshtynogena
  13. Cinygma
  14. Cinygmula
  15. Compsoneuria
  16. Dacnogenia
  17. Darthus
  18. Ecdyogymnurus
  19. Ecdyonuroides
  20. Ecdyonurus
  21. Electrogena
  22. Epeorella
  23. Epeorus
  24. Heptagenia
  25. Ironodes
  26. Kageronia
  27. Leucrocuta
  28. Maccaffertium
  29. Macdunnoa
  30. Miocoenogenia
  31. Nestormeus
  32. Nixe
  33. Notacanthurus
  34. Notacanthurus
  35. Paegniodes
  36. Paracinygmula
  37. Parafronurus
  38. Pseudiron
  39. Pseudokageronia
  40. Raptoheptagenia
  41. Regulaneuria
  42. Rhithrogena
  43. Rhithrogeniella
  44. Spinadis
  45. Stenacron
  46. Stenonema
  47. Succinogenia
  48. Thalerosphyrus
  49. Thamnodontus
  50. Trichogenia
The oldest described member of the family is Amerogenia from the Late Cretaceous aged New Jersey amber.