Mayflies hatch in record numbers along Mississippi River

We just happened to be driving between Decorah, Iowa and Dubuque, Iowa last Friday evening (July 7, 2006) when there was a massive hatching of mayflies along the Mississippi River. I took these pictures from inside the car in East Dubuque, Illinois. The swarms were so dense they showed up on radar in La Crosse, Wisconsin. My heart goes out to any motorcyclists who were riding in the area. Anyone know the southern and northern extent of the mayfly explosion?

Photo Gallery >> 2006 Mayfly hatching on the Mississippi River

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More Links:
Wikipedia article on Mayflies
Blog entry on the Mayfly explosion
Boing Boing article link
Pictures of the little buggers