Mydas fly explained

The Mydidae (sometimes misspelled as "Mydaidae"), or Mydas flies, are a cosmopolitan family of flies. It is a small family, with about 471 species described.^[1] They are generally large in size, including the largest known fly, Gauromydas heros (syn. Mydas heros). Many of the species, in addition to their large size, are mimics of stinging hymenopterans, especially wasps. Most mydids are found in arid and semiarid regions of the world,^[1] but they are also found in other habitats.

Biology

Little is known about their biology, though Zikan reported the larvae of Gauromydas heros live in the subterranean detritus "pans" of Atta ants in southern Brazil, where they appear to be feeding on detritivorous Dynastinae (Coelosis spp.) larvae. In the U.S., Mydas brunneus, Mydas clavatus, and Mydas tibialis larvae are predatory on deadwood-feeding scarab beetle larvae (Osmoderma spp.) and can be found in standing and downed trees with extensive heart rot. Others (e.g. Mydas maculiventris) are subterranean and feed on "white grubs" (Scarabaeidae: genus Phyllophaga) that attack the roots of grasses and could be potential biocontrol agents of white grubs in sod production areas. Larvae typically take two or three years to mature. Adults of several species are avid flower visitors and act as pollinating agents. Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a favorite nectar source in the Midwest. They are infrequently encountered as the adult lifespan can be quite short.

Description

Mydids are medium-sized to very large flies (9–60 mm in body length). The abdomen is long and cylindrical in section. It is slightly tapered apically in the male, and usually widest at segment four in the female. The second segment of the antenna forms a club. Mydids are sparsely pilose, and lack bristles except on the legs. The hind leg is much longer and stronger than both the middle leg and the fore leg and the hind femur is usually swollen and bears ventral spines. The hind tibia has an apical spur or bristles. The wings are long, and narrow to wide. Most of the veins end in the upper margin before the apex.^[2]

Classification

The classification of the family has changed fairly recently, with the inclusion of a few genera that were previously placed in the family Apioceridae. Apiocerids have long been given the common name "flower-loving flies", but the only group of "flower-loving flies" that actually visit flowers were transferred to the Mydidae. Among the genera transferred is Rhaphiomidas, which includes one of the few Diptera on the United States' Endangered Species List, the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly (Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis).^[3]

Evolutionary history

The oldest known member of the family is Cretomydas from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Crato Formation of Brazil. The genus appears to have close affinites to the subfamily Diochlistinae, suggesting a Cretaceous diversification for the family.^[4]

Species lists

• West Palaearctic including Russia
• Australasian/Oceanian
• Nearctic
• Japan
• World list

Genera

• Afroleptomydas Bequaert, 1961^[5]
• Afromydas Bequaert, 1961^[5]
• Agaperemius Hesse, 1969^[6]
• Anomalomydas Papavero & Wilcox, 1974^[7]
• Apiophora Philippi, 1865^[8]
• Arenomydas Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Baliomydas Papavero & Pimentel, 1989^[9]
• Belemiana Pontia, 2020^[10]
• Cacatuopyga Papavero & Wilcox, 1974^[7]
• Cephalocera

^{c g}

• Cephalocerodes Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Ceriomydas Williston, 1898^[11]
• Charimydas

^{c g}

• Chrysomydas Papavero & Pimentel, 1989
• Diochlistus Gerstaecker, 1868

^{c g}

• Dolichogaster Macquart, 1848^[12]
• Ectyphus Gerstaecker, 1868

^{c g}

• Eremohaplomydas

^{c g}

• Eremomidas

^{c g}

• Eumydas

^{c g}

• Gauromydas Papavero & Pimentel, 1989^[9]
• Halterorchis Bezzi, 1924^[13]
• Haplomydas

^{c g}

• Hessemydas Carr & Irwin, 2005^[14]
• Heteroleptomydas

^{c g}

• Heteromydas Hardy, 1944^[15]
• Hispanomydas

^{c g}

• Lachnocorynus Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Leptomydas Gerstaecker, 1868

^{c g}

• Mahafalymydas

^{c g}

• Mapinguari Papavero & Wilcox, 1974^[7]
• Megascelus

^{c g}

• Messiasia d'Andretta, 1951

^{i c g b}

• Midacritus

^{c g}

• Miltinus Gerstaecker, 1868

^{c g}

• Mimadelphus Hesse, 1972^[16]
• Mitrodetus Gerstaecker, 1868

^{c g}

• Mydas Fabricius, 1794^[17]
• Mydaselpis

^{c g}

• Namadytes Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Namibimydas Hesse, 1972^[16]
• Nemomydas Curran, 1934

^{i c g b}

• Neolaparopsis Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Neorhaphiomidas

^{c g}

• Nomoneura

^{c g}

• Nomoneuroides Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Nothomydas Hesse, 1969^[6]
• Notosyllegomydas Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Opomydas Curran, 1934^[18]
• Oreomydas Hesse, 1969

^{c g}

• Paramydas

^{c g}

• Parectyphus

^{c g}

• Perissocerus Gerstaecker, 1868

^{c g}

• Phyllomydas Bigot, 1880^[19]
• Plyomydas Papavero, 1971^[20]
• Protomydas Papavero & Pimentel, 1989^[9]
• Pseudonomoneura Bequaert, 1961^[5]
• Pseudorhopalia Wilcox & Papavero, 1971^[20]
• Rhaphiomidas Osten Sacken, 1877^[21]
• Rhopalia

^{c g}

• Rhopaliana

^{c g}

• Stratiomydas Papavero & Pimentel, 1989^[9]
• Syllegomydas

^{c g}

• Tongamya

^{c g}

• Vespiodes Hesse, 1969

^{c g}Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net

External links

• Torsten Dikow's Website on Mydidae
• Mydidae Tree of Life
• Family Mydidae at EOL
• Mydidae in Italian

Notes and References

1. Lyons. Kathleen. Dikow. Torsten . Taxonomic revision of Ectyphus Gerstaecker, 1868 and Parectyphus Hesse, 1972 with a key to world Ectyphinae (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae) . ZooKeys . 29 December 2010 . 73 . 25–59 . 10.3897/zookeys.73.840 . 3088457 . 21594051. free .
2. Calhau. Julia. Lamas. Carlos José Einicker. Nihei. Silvio Shigueo. Review of the Gauromydas giant flies (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae), with descriptions of two new species from Central and South America . Zootaxa . 2015. 4048. 3. 392–411 . 17 March 2017. Magnolia Press. Auckland, New Zealand . 1175-5326 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4048.3.3. 26624754.
3. Wilcox . J. . Papavero. N.. Studies of Mydidae (Diptera) systematics and evolution. III. The genus Messiasia d'Andretta in the Americas (Mydinae) . Arquivos de Zoologia . São Paulo . 1 . 1975 . 26 . 17 March 2017 . 1–48 . 10.11606/issn.2176-7793.v26i1p1-48. free .
4. Pouillon. Jean-Marc. Nel. André. December 2020. Revision of the Early Cretaceous mydid Cretomydas santanensis (Diptera: Mydidae). Cretaceous Research. en. 116. 104604. 10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104604. 2020CrRes.11604604P . 225281087 . free.
5. Béquaert . M. . Contribution a la connaissance morphologique et a la classification des Mydaidae (Diptera) . Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique . 1961 . 37 . 19 . 1–18.
6. Hesse . A.J. . The Mydaidae (Diptera) of southern Africa . Annals of the South African Museum. 1969 . 54 . 1–388 . 3 June 2023.
7. Papavero . N. . Wilcox . J. . Studies of Mydidae (Diptera) systematics and evolution. I. A preliminary classification in subfamilies, with the descriptions of two new genera from the Oriental and Australian regions. II. Classification of the Mydinae, with description of a new genus and a revision of Ceriomydas Williston . Arquivos de Zoologia . 1974 . 25 . 1 . 1–60. 10.11606/issn.2176-7793.v25i1p1-34 . free .
8. Philippi . Rodolfo Amando . Aufzahlung der chilenischen Dipteren . Abhandlungen der Zool.-Botan. Gesellschaft in Wien. . 1865 . 15 . 595–782 . 28 April 2019.
9. Book: Wilcox . J. . Papavero . N. . Pimentel . T. . Studies of Mydidae (Diptera). IVb. Mydas and allies in the Americas (Mydinae, Mydini) . 1989 . Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi . Belém . 139 pp.
10. Ponting . J. . Belemiana, a replacement name for Utinga Wilcox, Papavero & Pimentel, 1989 (Diptera, Mydidae), junior homonym of Utinga Marcus, 1949 (Bryozoa, Petraliidae) . Zootaxa . 2021 . 5071 . 1 . 151–165. 10.11646/zootaxa.5071.1.10 . 34810674 . 244484256 .
11. Williston . S.W. . Notes and descriptions of Mydaidae . Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. . 1898 . 15 . 53–58.
12. Macquart . Pierre-Justin-Marie . Diptères exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. Suite du 2.me supplement. [=Suppl. 3] (2) . Mem. Soc. R. Sci. Agric. Arts, Lille . 1848 . 1847 . 2 . 161–237, 7 pls.
13. Bezzi . M. . The South African Mydaidae (Diptera) as represented in the South African Museum . Annals of the South African Museum . 1924 . 19 . 191–234 . 2 June 2023.
14. Kondratieff . Boris C. . Carr . Ryan J. . Irwin . M.E. . Two new genera and four new species of Mydidae (Diptera) from Madagascar . Zootaxa . 2005 . 978 . 1–14 . 10.11646/zootaxa.978.1.1 . 3 June 2023. free .
15. Hardy . D.E. . New Asilidae and Mydaidae (Diptera) in the Snow Collection . The Canadian Entomologist . 1945 . 76[1944 |pages=226–230, 1 pl].
16. Hesse . A.J. . New Mydaidae (Diptera) from the Namib Desert and southwestern Africa . Annals of the South African Museum . 1972 . 60 . 109–171 . 3 June 2023.
17. Book: Fabricius . J.C. . Entomologia systematica emendata et aucta. Tome IV. . 1794 . C.G. Proft . Hafniae [= Copenhagen] . [6] + 472 + [5] pp.
18. Book: Curran. Charles Howard. The families and genera of North American Diptera. 1934. Ballou Press. New York. 512 pp. 2 pls.
19. Bigot . J.M.F. . [Diagnoses de trois genres nouveaux de diptères.] ]. Bulletin (Bimensuel) de la Société Entomologique de France . 1880 . 1880 . 6 . 62–63. 2 June 2023.
20. Wilcox . J. . Papavero . N. . The American genera of Mydidae (Diptera), with the description of three new genera and two new species . Arquivos de Zoologia . 1971 . 21 . 2 . 41–119 . 10.11606/issn.2176-7793.v21i2p41-119 . 3 June 2023. free .
21. Osten Sacken. C.R.. 1877. Western Diptera: Descriptions of new genera and species of Diptera from the region west of the Mississippi and especially from California. Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories. 3. 189–354. 10.5962/bhl.title.57939.