Phylogenetic analysis reveals high local endemism and clear biogeographic breaks in southern African stoneflies (Notonemouridae, Plecoptera).

The low vagility of the southern African Notonemouridae (stoneflies, Plecoptera), and their restriction to temperate montane refugia, make them a useful model for examining the evolution and biogeography of the rich palaeogenic fauna of the region. Here we use maximum parsimony tree reconstruction based on morphological characters and a partial COI mtDNA sequence to explore the evolutionary history and biogeography of the family in southern Africa. Morphological and molecular parsimony cladograms were largely in agreement, and supported monophyly of all six genera in the region.