Mythicomyiinae

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 : 127

Mythicomyiinae Melander

Type genus: Mythicomyia Coquillett, 1893 .

As currently constituted, this subfamily contains the genera Mythicomyia Coquillett , Mythenteles Hall & Evenhuis , and Reissa Evenhuis & Báez gen. n. It is the most diverse in terms of species of any of the subfamilies, due in large part to the speciose New World genus Mythicomyia , which contains 169 described species and an estimated 150–200 additional undescribed species. The subfamily is characterised by the small triangular cell r 1 and the subapical placement of the antennal style.

Reissa Evenhuis & Báez gen. n.

Type species: Reissa roni Evenhuis & Báez sp. n., by present designation. Etymology: Named in memory of the late chironomid specialist, Friedrich Reiss. Gender feminine. Diagnosis: This genus has some wing characters that are reminiscent of some

Glabellulinae (e.g. small triangular cell r 1) but it can be separated from them by the longer vein R 4+5 (vein R 4+5 ends in the costa before the level of M 2 in Glabellulinae). Within the subfamily Mythicomyiinae , it is similar to the genus Mythenteles Hall and Evenhuis (which occurs in nearby Spain), but can be easily separated from it by the absence of vein A 1 and the small discal cell.

Distribution: Extant species known only from the Canary Islands.An undescribed second species from Eocene/Oligocene Baltic amber is in the personal collection of NLE and will be described elsewhere.