2002 Photo Contest, Nature, 2nd prize
Photographer

József L. Szentpéteri

Natura-Foto B.T.

01 June, 2001

A fish jumps to catch a mayfly. Emerging from the Tisza River, the hatched Long-tailed Mayfly has just a few hours in which to fly, mate and die. Over a few days, larvae that lay for three years on the bottom of the river rise to the surface within an hour of each other. Millions of larvae cloud the water, before hatching into large winged mayflies. They then swarm in a dense group, searching for partners, and laying eggs - but also become food for the river's other creatures. An endangered species, the mayfly is at risk from fishermen seeking bait, and polluted waters.

About the photographer

József L. Szentpéteri

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