Kingdom Animalia Suborder Brachycera Superfamily Empidoidea Phylum Arthropoda Order Fly | Class Insecta Infraorder Asilomorpha Scientific name Atelestidae Rank Family | |
Similar Hilarimorphidae, Acartophthalmus, Asteiidae, Apsilocephalidae, Diastatidae | ||
Atelestidae is a family of true flies in the superfamily Empidoidea. These four genera were placed in a separate family in 1983. They were formerly either in Platypezidae (which are not even particularly closely related) or considered incertae cedis. But while they are doubtless the most basal of the living Empidoidea, the monophyly of the family is not fully proven. The genus Nemedina seems to represent a most ancient lineage among the entire superfamily, while Meghyperus is probably not monophyletic in its present delimitation, and it is liable to be split up eventually, with some species being placed elsewhere.
Atelestidae are small (2–3 mm) greyish-dusted flies. They have a disjunct distribution, being found in both the Holarctic and southern Neotropical regions (Chile).