Jacob Delano; Nicholas Brian, Utah Valley University
Background: Mayflies are a very fascinating and primitive lineage of insect, being one of the first to develop flight and the only taxonomic order that has a subimago stage (a winged stage before sexual maturity). As nymphs, mayflies can go through as many as 50 molts, with the exact number being dependant on the species. Some species of Ephemeroptera are parthenogenetic, meaning that female mayflies can reproduce viable offspring without a male present. However, parthenogenetic mayflies can reproduce via sexual reproduction when males are present. Purpose and essential question: We will be constructing an artificial stream mesocosm for the purpose of rearing parthenogenetic species of mayflies in order to examine their transcriptome data throughout the species lifecycle. Methods: We have constructed three recirculating stream systems consisting of two chambers for a total of 6 chambers holding a combined 50 gallons of water. We will run the water first through a temperature controlled cooler to keep the water at the same temperature of the stream the mayfly nymphs were collected from, and a basic aquarium filter will be used to keep the water as clear as possible. We will periodically add newly collected stream water to provide fresh algae and microbes for the mayfly nymphs to eat. The sides of our tank will be lined with mesh to simulate vegetation along the stream. We will take nymphs out at various stages of development and collect transcriptome data from them. Once the subimago and adults emerge they will be removed from the stream and their eggs will be collected to support the next generation. Conclusion: This project is expected to produce a population of genetically identical mayflies and to have extracted multiple sets of transcriptome data from this population. We plan to continue to cultivate further generations from this colony and undertake more transcriptome data analysis from these populations.