What Bug Is That? The guide to Australian insect families.

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Nesameletidae

Overview

The family is represented in Australia by Ameletoides lacusalbinae . Nymphs, with their streamlined shape and single, plate-like, abdominal gills, resemble large baetids; in addition to the abdominal gills nymphs have single gills on each maxilla.

Distribution

A. lacusalbinae is widespread in high altitude streams in south-eastern, mainland Australia and Tas. (Tillyard 1933; Campbell 1981, 1986) and near Mt Kosciusko also occurs in lakes. Nymphs are algal scrapers (Campbell 1985) and, on the mainland at least, nymphal development ranges from less than 1 year to 2 years. Adults emerge from September to January, each female producing about 11 000 eggs.

  • Ameletoides sp. nymph

  • Ameletoides sp. female

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