Mythicomyia

Coquillett, 1893

Mythicomyia is a of minute flies in the Mythicomyiidae, first described by Coquillett in 1893. The genus has a disjunct worldwide distribution, occurring in every biogeographical region except the Palearctic. It is poorly studied in the Neotropical Region, where recent taxonomic work has expanded known from South America into Central America and the Caribbean. The genus contains two currently recognized subgenera, though species-level assignments to these subgenera remain problematic and require revision.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Mythicomyia: //ˌmɪθɪkoʊˈmaɪə//

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Identification

Identification relies on morphological characters detailed in dichotomous keys for males and females; specific diagnostic features vary by . The is distinguished from other mythicomyiid genera by genitalic and external morphological characters. Species-level identification requires examination of and comparison with published illustrations.

Distribution

Worldwide distribution across all biogeographical regions except the Palearctic. Neotropical Region: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Peru, Belize, Rica, Curaçao, and Dominican Republic. Nearctic distribution also occurs for subgenus Heterhybos.

More Details

Subgeneric Classification

Two subgenera are currently recognized: Mythicomyia (sensu stricto) and Heterhybos Brèthes, 1919. Subgenus Heterhybos has Nearctic and Neotropical distribution. Recent taxonomic work has highlighted difficulty in confidently assigning new to either subgenus, leading to treatment of species as Mythicomyia (s. lat.) without subgeneric attribution pending comprehensive revision.

Taxonomic Activity

Recent descriptions include five new from Peru (2024), one new species from Colombia (2024), and three new species from Central America (2024), more than doubling the known Neotropical fauna. Updated dichotomous keys and distribution maps have been published for South American and Neotropical species.