Bug FAQBlack Stonefly
Austroperla cyrene · Order: Plecoptera · Family: Austroperlidae
Adult Black Stoneflies are brightly colored with yellow and white markings on a black background as a warning signal. They live in forested streams in New Zealand, feeding on decaying wood and leaves. The species is endemic to New Zealand and does not occur naturally elsewhere.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults show bright yellow and white spots on a black body to warn predators.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are shredders that live in streams, especially those surrounded by forest.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Both adults and larvae feed on decomposing wood and leaf material in streams.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The Black Stonefly is found only in New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Melanic forms of Zelandoperla fenestrata and Taraperla pseudocyrene mimic its warning colors but are not toxic.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the Black Stonefly look like?
Adults have bright yellow and white markings on a black background as a warning signal.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the Black Stonefly live?
It lives in forested streams throughout New Zealand, feeding on decaying wood and leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Is the Black Stonefly native to New Zealand?
Yes, it is endemic to New Zealand and not found naturally elsewhere.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austroperla
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.