Mydas-flies
Guides
Asiloidea
asiloid flies
Asiloidea is a large superfamily of true flies (Diptera: Brachycera) with cosmopolitan distribution. It comprises approximately 11 families including the well-known Asilidae (robber/assassin flies), Bombyliidae (bee flies), Therevidae (stiletto flies), Mydidae (mydas flies), and Scenopinidae (window flies). Adult morphology is characterized by antennae with no more than 4 flagellomeres, leg empodium usually setiform or absent, and wing venation featuring an elongate cell cup with vein CuA2 ending freely or meeting A1 near the wing margin. Larval synapomorphies include posterior spiracles arising dorsally from the penultimate abdominal segment and, in most families except Bombyliidae and Hilarimorphidae, a modified cranium forming a hinged metacephalic rod.
DipteraBrachyceraAsiloidearobber-fliesbee-fliesstiletto-fliesmydas-flieswindow-fliescosmopolitanarid-habitatspredatory-larvaeflower-visitorsparasitoidsbiological-controlAsilidaeBombyliidaeTherevidaeMydidaeScenopinidaeApioceridaeApsilocephalidaeApystomyiidaeEvocoidaeHilarimorphidaeMythicomyiidaeProtapioceridaephylogenysystematicsvenomouspredatorymystaxmetacephalic-roddichopticholopticJurassicCretaceoustherevoid-cladeNamib-DesertCanary-IslandsSaudi-ArabiaDominicaChileGermanyfossilcybertaxonomyopen-accessZooKeysBohart-MuseumWorld-Robber-Fly-DayLeptomydinae
Mydas flies
Leptomydinae is a subfamily of mydas flies (family Mydidae) containing at least 6 genera and more than 50 described species. Members are primarily distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. The subfamily includes the genera Eremomidas, Hessemydas, Leptomydas, Nemomydas, Plyomydas, and Pseudonomoneura. Leptomydas, the type genus, was established by Gerstaecker in 1868.
Messiasia
Messiasia is a genus of mydas flies (family Mydidae) established by Andretta in 1951. The genus contains 16 described species distributed primarily in the Americas, with species known from the western United States, Central America, and South America. These flies are among the largest in Diptera and are characterized by their elongate bodies and wasp-like appearance.
Mydas
Mydas flies
Mydas is a genus of flies in the family Mydidae, established by Fabricius in 1794. These are among the largest flies in North America, with some species reaching substantial body lengths. The genus is characterized by elongate clubbed antennae and wasp-mimicking coloration, typically featuring black bodies with orange or red markings. Mydas flies are often mistaken for large wasps or robber flies by observers due to their impressive size and similar appearance to hymenopteran mimics.
Mydidae
Mydas flies, Mydaid flies
Mydidae, or mydas flies, are a small cosmopolitan family of large to very large flies within the superfamily Asiloidea. With approximately 471 described species, they represent one of the most distinctive dipteran groups due to their exceptional size—Gauromydas heros is the largest known fly species—and their frequent mimicry of stinging hymenopterans, particularly spider wasps. Most species inhabit arid and semiarid regions globally. The family is poorly studied, with larval biology documented for only a handful of species.
Mydinae
mydas flies
Mydinae is a subfamily of mydas flies within the family Mydidae, comprising approximately 12 genera and over 120 described species. The subfamily includes four tribes: Dolichogastrini, Messiasiini, Mydini, and Phyllomydini. Members of this subfamily are found primarily in the Neotropical region, with some genera exhibiting restricted geographic distributions. The genus Mapinguari, previously considered monotypic and rare, has been shown to have broader distribution than previously known.
Nemomydas
mydas flies
Nemomydas is a genus of large mydas flies (Diptera: Mydidae) comprising at least 23 described species distributed primarily in the Americas, with one species (N. gruenbergi) recorded from East Asia. The genus was established by Curran in 1934. Species exhibit considerable diversity in distribution, ranging from the southwestern United States through Central America to the Caribbean and South America.
Opomydas
Opomydas is a genus of mydas flies in the family Mydidae, established by Curran in 1934. The genus contains at least three described species, including Opomydas limbatus and Opomydas townsendi. Members of this genus are part of the diverse mydas fly group, which are among the largest flies in North America.
Phyllomydas
Phyllomydas is a genus of mydas flies (family Mydidae) established by Bigot in 1880. The genus contains seven described species distributed primarily in the Neotropical region. Members of this genus are among the larger dipterans, though specific ecological and biological details remain poorly documented in scientific literature.
Pseudonomoneura
Pseudonomoneura is a genus of mydas flies (family Mydidae) comprising seven described species distributed in western North America, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The genus was established by Bequaert in 1961 to accommodate species previously placed in related genera. Adults are generally robust, moderately sized flies with distinctive wing venation characteristic of the family.
Stratiomydas
Stratiomydas is a genus of mydas flies (family Mydidae) established in 1989. The genus contains four described species distributed in Mexico, with records from Colima and Nayarit states. Species in this genus were previously classified under other genera before being separated based on morphological characteristics. Like other mydid flies, members are likely large-bodied and robust, though specific ecological data remain limited.