Video from Cēsis: ‘Summer snowfall’ turns out to be a swarm of mayflies
A video from Cēsis showing a dense white swarm in the air has gone viral on TikTok, with many viewers mistaking it for falling snow. The footage actually captures mayflies in their brief adult stage, gathering to reproduce.
A clip of an unusual sight in Cēsis is circulating on social media. It shows a thick cloud of white specks swirling in the air, looking like a snowstorm in the middle of summer. The video has attracted tens of thousands of views on TikTok.
The author, Edmunds Mitenieks, called the phenomenon a “mayfly wedding” and wrote that it continues in Cēsis. The white particles are not snow, but mayflies in flight. These insects are known for their extremely short adult life: depending on the species, adults live from a few hours to a few days, and their main task in that time is reproduction.
Mayflies spend the largest part of their life cycle as larvae in water – from several months up to several years. They live mainly in clean rivers and lakes, which makes them an important indicator of the health of freshwater ecosystems. They also serve as food for fish and other animals.
The video, posted by @edmunds.mitenieks, uses the track “Rise Slow”. Within a day it became widely viewed, and many viewers initially thought they were watching snow falling in July.
