The Perlidae are a family of stoneflies, with a total of 84 species in 15 genera. The majority of the Perlidae are found in eastern North America, but they occur worldwide except for Antarctica and parts of Africa. Their lifecycles range between one and three years. They adults emerge in the summer; they are very active and known to be attracted to light sources. They are usually very sensitive to changes in environment. They are engulfer-predators. They consume all types of invertebrates. Very young larvae are collector-gatherers.