All members of Austrolimnophila are moderately large (12 - 24 mm) and have golden-brown patterned wings which make them particularly noticeable. Most are in shrubby or forest environments and A. argus is also found in pine plantations and urban parkland where logs have been left to rot. Larvae, for those species known, tunnel under bark presumably feeding on the fungi attacking and softening the wood. They may be quite numerous and after pupation the pupal skins are left poking out of the bark as do several Dicranomyia and Leptotarsus species.
There are 20 named species in the genus and at least two undescribed species, of which one has short wings and is thus flightless. On the basis of only wing markings several species may be confused with Discobola species.