Embossed Stonefly vs Southern Stonefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Embossed Stonefly Southern Stonefly
Scientific Name Paragnetina immarginata Aphanicerca capensis
Order Plecoptera Plecoptera
Family Perlidae Notonemouridae
Size 18-25 mm 6-10 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Mountains
Diet Predators Detritivores
Regions North America Southern Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Embossed Stonefly

A large patterned stonefly of clean eastern streams with raised body markings. Nymphs are top predators among stream cobble invertebrate communities.

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Did You Know?

Nymphs moult up to 30 times before reaching adulthood, far more than most aquatic insects.

Southern Stonefly

A small brown stonefly endemic to mountain streams of the Western Cape, South Africa. It belongs to a Southern Hemisphere family with Gondwanan origins.

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Did You Know?

Its family Notonemouridae is found only in the Southern Hemisphere, a legacy of the breakup of Gondwana.