Overview

The family is restricted to Australia and New Zealand, where a total of 3 genera and 8 species are known, of which 2 genera and 6 species are recorded from Australia.

Description

Adults of this family are small to medium sized, inconspicuous, dark greyish with wing span 8-15 mm. Ocelli absent. Maxillary palps 5-segmented in both sexes. Antennae not exceeding length of fore wing, basal segment about as long as head. Large, linear posterolateral setal warts on head. Pronotum with pair of transversely elongate warts; mesoscutum without setal warts; scutellum with one or a pair of small setal warts. Fore wing elongate oval, with or without discoidal cell, jugal lobe reduced, venation often differing in sexes; hind wing with row of hamuli along basal half of anterior margin, large vein-free area discally (at centre of wing). Tibial spurs 2:2:4.
Larvae with more or less developed anterolateral carina on dorsum of head; antennae about midway between eye and anterior margin of head capsule. Mesonotum with reduced sclerites; metanotal sclerites small; abdominal segment 1 with dorsal and lateral spacing humps; gills, lateral setal fringe and sclerite on segment 9 all absent; lateral band of bifid spicules on segment 8; claw of anal proleg with single accessory hook. Larvae construct slightly-curved, cylindrical tube- cases of sand grains or plant fragments, and are known from clear, swift-flowing streams in forested areas.