The first mydid fly (Diptera: Mydidae) from the Paleocene maar of Menat (France)

Abstract

Paleomydas menatensis gen. et sp. nov., the third known fossil mydid fly, is described from the Paleocene of Menat (France). The fossil fly is remarkable in its very broad hind femur, a rather infrequent character in this family, which is mainly present in the Neotropical genera Mapinguari and Ceriomydas, and to a less pronounced degree, in the Nearctic genus Phyllomydas. But the lack of information on the antenna and genitalia structures forbids us to specify its relationships within the Mydidae more precisely. Thus we propose to attribute it to a new genus. The systematic affiliation of the late Eocene Mydas miocenicus from Florissant is discussed. Because of the rarity of Diptera in the insect assemblage of the Menat outcrop, the present discovery could suggest that this nowadays rather rare family was more frequent during the Paleocene than today.