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The present knowledge of the historical biogeography of aquatic invertebrate groups is reviewed. Most orders of aquatic insects have a fossil record starting in the Early Permian, or Middle Carboniferous (Odonata), making even the break-up of Gondwana (Late Jurassic) relevant to understanding present distributional patterns. The complex geological history of Southeast Asia is summarized, and geological area cladograms presented. Biogeographical studies are seriously hampered by the limited information on subaerial history of the various islands and terranes. The historical biogeography of the Platycnemididae (Odonata), with special reference to the subfamily Calicnemiinae, is presented as one of the first examples of such a study of a widespread group. The species of