As a mayfly larvae emerges out of its shell, this will be the most important—and only—day of its adult life. | National Geographic

We warned you. 😉 Adult yellow mayflies are the most beautiful mayflies in the world but don’t let their golden beauty fool you. Ameletopsis perscitus has a dark past. 😧 Before emerging from the water, the mayfly goes through a terrifying, rip-your-face-off predatory nymph stage, making it the only known carnivorous mayfly in Aotearoa New Zealand and one of only a few worldwide. Most mayfly nymphs graze on algae and plant matter, but the nymph of the yellow mayfly is a savage little killer. 🌿❌