When is the best time to find alpine stoneflies?

If you are keen to see some Thaumatoperla while out and about, then this is the time of year to start looking.

The adults are just starting to emerge on the Bogong High Plains and will be active until late April. The emergence times vary as you move from west to east across the Bogong High Plains.

The Mount Stirling-Mount Buller species, Thaumatoperla flaveola, begins it emergence around March and stops when the snows arrive. The species is known from the higher elevations (above 1000m) of the King, Delatite and Howqua catchments.

Thaumatoperla robusta has very few records, although a fairly recent one on iNat! It previously hadn't been recorded since the 1970s which shows what a fantastic source of information iNat is. Please keep sharing your observations. Most records of this species is from April in the Mount Baw Baw and Yarra Ranges areas.

Posted on January 25, 2021 12:34 AM by jmynott