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1. Freshwater ecosystems cover less than 1% of the planet's surface but support up to 10% of known species. Around 25% of freshwater invertebrate species are under threat of extinction. Such a decline in species richness is likely to lead to adverse effects on the delivery of services. However, the effect of species loss on ecosystem goods and services can only be assessed once the link between species diversity and ecosystem goods and services has been established and better understood. 2. Using a flexible systematic literature review search protocol, we were able to identify a range of ecosystem goods and services provided by freshwater insects in the categories of provisioning, supporting, and cultural services. 3. The ecosystem services and benefits provided by freshwater insects are diverse and unexpectedly wide-ranging including decomposition and nutrient cycling, food for a wider range of species including humans, and the inspiration for art, music, and literature. Several of these have clear economic values but are not currently fully exploited. 4. The identification of goods and services may bring greater appreciation and impetus to understanding the scale of their importance, economic value, and conservation. In the absence of freshwater insects, few other service providers could replicate the same level and degree of service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is intended as a general and concise overview of Ephemeroptera biology, diversity, and services provided to humans and other parts of our global array of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. The Ephemeroptera, or mayflies, are a small but diverse order of amphinotic insects associated with liquid freshwater worldwide. They are nearly cosmopolitan, except for Antarctica and some very remote islands. The existence of the subimago stage is unique among extant insects. Though the winged stages do not have functional mouthparts or digestive systems, the larval, or nymphal, stages have a variety of feeding approaches—including, but not limited to, collector-gatherers, filterers, scrapers, and active predators—with each supported by a diversity of morphological and behavioral adaptations. Mayflies provide direct and indirect services to humans and other parts of both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. In terms of cultural services, they have provided inspiration to musicians, poets, and other writers, as well as being the namesakes of various water- and aircraft. They are commemorated by festivals worldwide. Mayflies are especially important to fishing. Mayflies contribute to the provisioning services of ecosystems in that they are utilized as food by human cultures worldwide (having one of the highest protein contents of any edible insect), as laboratory organisms, and as a potential source of antitumor molecules. They provide regulatory services through their cleaning of freshwater. They provide many essential supporting services for ecosystems such as bioturbation, bioirrigation, decomposition, nutrition for many kinds of non-human animals, nutrient cycling and spiraling in freshwaters, nutrient cycling between aquatic and terrestrial systems, habitat for other organisms, and serving as indicators of ecosystem health. About 20% of mayfly species worldwide might have a threatened conservation status due to influences from pollution, invasive alien species, habitat loss and degradation, and climate change. Even mitigation of negative influences has benefits and tradeoffs, as, in several cases, sustainable energy production negatively impacts mayflies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]