Photo: Mirjana Rankov
Apart from being spectacular, the Tisza blooming also has important ecological significance, as the mayflies feed many species of fish, birds, and frogs.
In Western Europe, the mayfly went extinct at the beginning of the 20th century, and their numbers also went down significantly in Central Europe in recent decades. Beside climate change, river regulations and alterations, plastic bank protection of riverbanks, and river pollution have also largely contributed to the drastic reduction in the number of these insects. Today, the river Tisza in Hungary is the only place where you can find them in mass numbers.