Mnemomyia Bowden, 1975

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 120-121

Mnemomyia Bowden

Mnemomyia Bowden, 1975 b: 308 . Type species: Mnemomyia rostrata Bowden, 1975 , by original designation. Comments: Bowden (1975 b) created this genus to comprise his new species Mnemomyia rostrata and another species, previously described in Glabellula and placed subsequently in Empidideicus , namely Mnemomyia mellea (Bezzi) . The genus is an unusual one, and is characterised by the prominent bulging clypeus and flattened mesonotum.Bowden (1975 b) expressed concern that it was even a bombyliid due to its anomalous characters. It does not fit well in the Glabellulinae, and further research may show it to belong elsewhere.Previously known from only two specimens representing two species, recent collecting has resulted in thousands of specimens representing many new species, particularly from Namibia. The genus is apparently indigenous to Namibia and western South Africa.

Distribution: Namibia, South Africa: 2 species; Mnemomyia mellea (Bezzi) , M. rostrata Bowden.