Overview
The family occurs also in South America, South Africa, Madagascar and New Zealand. Adults differ from other Australian stoneflies in lacking cross-veins in the distal portion of the wings, larvae by the lack of external gills and by their abdominal segments 2--9 being clearly divided into tergite and sternite. Different specialisations in the male and female genitalia define two groups of genera. Australian members of the
Aphanicerca
group (
Austrocerca
,
Austrocercella
,
Austrocercoides
,
Kimminsoperla
and
Tasmanocerca
) have only simple anal veins in the hind wing, whereas the only member of the
Notonemoura
group in Australia,
Notonemoura
(which also occurs in New Zealand), has 2A forked.
Larvae of most Australian genera are very similar, slim and without significantly enlarged legs. Larvae of
Notonemoura
are very stocky with large hind femora.