Family OECONESIDAE

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Family OECONESIDAE

Compiler and date details

Arturs Neboiss, Department of Entomology, National Museum of Victoria, Abbotsford, Victoria; updated (2002) by Alice Wells, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, Australia

Introduction

The only Australian representative of the family is a moderately large (wing span 30–38 mm), brown mottled species, which in resting position folds the wings flat over the body.

The family is restricted to Australia and New Zealand with a total of six genera and 16 species; the only Australian species is found in Tasmania. The family has not been recorded from the Australian mainland.

Diagnosis

Adult: ocelli absent. Maxillary palpi 1 or 2-segmented in males (Australian genus single segmented); 5-segmented in females. Antennae about as long as or slightly longer than the forewing, basal segment shorter than the head. Mesoscutum with a pair of elongate setal warts, scutellum with a single median wart. Wings are broad, rounded apically, venation differing in sexes, often reduced or modified in males; vein R1 joins R2 close to wing margin; discoidal cell closed.

Tibial spurs 2: 4: 4.

Larva: antennae close to the eyes; ventral apotome triangular. Pronotum sclerotized; prosternal horn absent in the Australian species; mesonotum and metanotum each with three pairs of sclerites. Abdominal gills single or branched; lateral fringe present; segment 8 without a lateral row of bifid spicules. Larvae are detrivorous, and inhabit small, fast flowing streams in forested areas.