Mydidae

Diochlistus mitis, copyright Jean and Fred Hort.

Belongs within: Asiloidea.

The Mydidae, mydas flies, are a group of predatory flies with a characteristic clubbed second antennal flagellomere. The Neotropical species Mydas heros is one of the world's largest flies (Colless & McAlpine 1991).

Characters (from Wilcox 1981): Medium to very large flies, 9-60 mm long, usually sparsely pilose, and without bristles except on legs. Second flagellomere of antenna clubbe. Abdomen long, cylindrical, and slightly tapered apically in male, but usually widest at segment 4 in female. Hindleg much longer and stronger than midleg and foreleg; hind femur usually swollen, with ventral spines; hind tibia with apical spur or bristles. Wing long, narrow to wide; most veins ending in upper margin before apex.

<==Mydidae [Mydaidae]
    |--Anomalomydas CM91 [Anomalomydinae W81]
    |--Apiophorinae W81
    |--Cacatuopyginae W81
    |--Rhopalinae W81
    |--Syllegomydas [Syllegomydinae] W81
    |    `--S. daltoni W81
    |--Leptomydinae W09
    |    |--Pseudonomoneura hirta W81
    |    `--Nemomydas W81
    |         |--N. melanopogon W81
    |         `--N. pantherinus W09
    |--Ectyphinae W81
    |    |--Ectyphus armipes W81
    |    |--Heteromydas bicolor W81
    |    `--Opomydas W81
    |         |--O. limbatus W81
    |         `--O. townsendi W09
    |--Diochlistus Gerstaecker 1868 P50 [Diochlistinae W81]
    |    |--D. analogus Paramonov 1950 P50
    |    |--D. apollinosus Paramonov 1950 P50
    |    |--D. auripennis Westwood 1835 [incl. Mydas fulvipennis Macq. 1849] P50
    |    |--D. gracilis Macq. 1847 (see below for synonymy) P50
    |    |--D. hackeri Paramonov 1950 P50
    |    |--D. melleipennis Westw. 1848 (see below for synonymy) P50
    |    |--D. mitis Gerst. 1868 P50
    |    |--D. neogracilis Hardy 1948 P50
    |    |--D. nicholsoni Mackerras 1928 P50
    |    `--D. tenebrosus Paramonov 1950 P50
    `--Mydinae W09
         |--Phyllomydas currani W81
         |--Messiasia W81
         |    |--M. decor W09
         |    |--M. perpolita W09
         |    `--M. pertenuis W81
         `--Mydas [incl. Gauromydas, Protomydas, Stratiomydas] W09
              |--M. basifascia O98
              |--M. bitaeniatus [=Stratiomydas bitaeniatus] W09
              |--M. clavatus W09
              |--M. filata G20
              |--M. fruhstorferi O98
              |--M. heros W09
              |--M. illucens L02
              |--M. rubidapex [=Protomydas rubidapex] W09
              `--M. rufiventris [=Stratiomydas rufiventris] W09

Mydidae incertae sedis:
  Dolichogaster P50
  Triclonus P50
  Harmophana P50
  Mitrodetus W81
    |--M. dentitarsus W81
    `--M. microglossa W81
  Midacritus kuscheli W81
  Miltinus Gerst. 1868 P50
    |--M. atripes Paramonov 1950 P50
    |--M. australicus Paramonov 1950 P50
    |--M. cardinalis Gerst. 1868 P50
    |--M. commoni Paramonov 1950 P50
    |--M. dentipennis Mackerras 1928 P50
    |--M. mackerrasi Norr. 1937 P50
    |--M. maculipennis Westw. 1841 P50
    |--M. minutus Mackerras 1928 P50
    |--M. musgravei Mackerras 1928 [incl. M. concinnus Macq. 1846 (n. d.)] P50
    |--M. norrisi Paramonov 1950 P50
    |--M. parviduatus Paramonov 1950 P50
    |--M. rieki Paramonov 1950 P50
    |--M. sordidus Westw. 1848 [incl. M. limpidipennis Westw. 1848] P50
    |--M. stenogaster Westw. 1841 [incl. M. bicolor Westw. 1841, M. haemorrhous Gerst. 1868] P50
    |--M. tenuis Mackerras 1928 P50
    `--M. viduatus Westw. 1835 [incl. M. signatus Walk. 1857, M. varipes Macq. 1849] P50
  Rhaphiomidas Osten-Sacken 1874 W09, P53 (see below for synonymy)
    |--R. acton W09
    |--R. episcopus W09
    |--R. terminatus P81
    `--R. xanthos W09

Diochlistus gracilis Macq. 1847 [incl. D. bispinifer Westw. 1848, D. clavatus Macq. 1849, D. clavata, D. macquarti Schin. 1868] P50

Diochlistus melleipennis Westw. 1848 [incl. D. claviger Walk. 1848, D. effractus Walk. 1857, D. flavipes Thoms. 1868] P50

Rhaphiomidas Osten-Sacken 1874 W09, P53 [=Rhaphiomydas P53; incl. Apomidas Coquillett 1892 P53, Apomydas P53]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[G20] Goldfuss, G. A. 1820. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte vol. 3. Handbuch der Zoologie pt 1. Johann Leonhard Schrag: Nürnberg.

[L02] Latreille, P. A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière des crustacés et des insectes vol. 3. Familles naturelles des genres. F. Dufart: Paris.

[O98] Oosterbroek, P. 1998. The Families of Diptera of the Malay Archipelago. Brill: Leiden.

[P50] Paramonov, S. J. 1950. A review of the Australian Mydaidae (Diptera). CSIRO Bulletin 255: 1–32.

[P53] Paramonov, S. J. 1953. A review of Australian Apioceridae (Diptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 1 (3): 449–536.

[P81] Peterson, B. V. 1981. Apioceridae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 541–548. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[W81] Wilcox, J. 1981. Mydidae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 533–540. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[W09] Woodley, N. E. 2009. Mydidae (mydas flies). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 579–583. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

Last updated: 3 January 2021.