It is known only from New Zealand, and its closest known living relative (and only other extant species in the same family) is endemic to Chile (Chiloe micropteron).

[4] The new genus and species was described as Rotoita basalis by Zdenek Boucek and John S. Noyes in 1987, and placed into a newly-recognized family they dubbed "Rotoitidae",[5] based on three fully winged females from New Zealand.

The authors stated that they also had two other females from the North and South Islands of New Zealand that might represent two additional species.

[7] A slide-mounted female from St. Arnaud (formally Rotoiti Village[8]) is listed as a paratype used to describe the species.

[6] Lake Rotoiti is a large fresh water body and a dominant feature when visiting Saint Arnaud Village: it was inspiration when naming the genus.