Tethepomyiidae is an extinct family of small brachyceran flies known from the Cretaceous period of

Laurasia Laurasia () was the more northern of two large landmasses that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from around ( Mya), the other being Gondwana. It separated from Gondwana (beginning in the late Triassic period) during the breakup of Pa ...

. It is part of the extinct superfamily

Archisargoidea } Archisargoidea is an extinct superfamily of brachyceran flies known from the late Middle Jurassic (Callovian) to early Late Cretaceous (Turonian). Most flies in the superfamily have large eyes and an elongated abdomen, preserved females have a ...

. The family is characterised by "very large eyes, reduced mouthparts, a highly reduced antennal flagellum, and greatly reduced

venation Venation may refer to: * Venation (botany), the arrangement of veins in leaves * Wing venation, the arrangement of veins in insect wings See also * * Vernation Vernation or leafing is the formation of new leaves or fronds. In plant anatomy, it ...

."D. A. Grimaldi and A. Arillo. 2008
The Tethepomyiidae, a new family of enigmatic Cretaceous Diptera
''Alavesia'' 2:259-265 The

ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typica ...

of ''Tethepomyia zigrasi'' has a

hypodermic A hypodermic needle (from Greek ὑπο- (''hypo-'' = under), and δέρμα (''derma'' = skin)) is a very thin, hollow tube with one sharp tip. As one of the most important intravenous inventions in the field of drug administration, it is ...

morphology likely used for injecting eggs into hosts.

Taxonomy

* †'' Tethepomima'' Grimaldi and Arillo 2008 ** †''Tethepomima holomma'' Grimaldi and Arillo 2008 Álava amber (

Spanish amber Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

Escucha Formation The Escucha Formation is a geological Formation (geology), formation in La Rioja Province, Spain, La Rioja and Teruel Province, Teruel provinces of northeastern Spain whose strata date back to the late Aptian to middle Albian stages of the Early ...

, Spain,

Albian The Albian is both an age (geology), age of the geologic timescale and a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early Cretaceous, Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch/s ...

* †'' Tethepomyia'' Grimaldi and Cumming 1999 ** †''Tethepomyia buruhandi'' Grimaldi and Arillo 2008 Álava amber, Escucha Formation, Spain, Albian ** †''Tethepomyia coxa'' Grimaldi 2016

Burmese amber Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. Th ...

, Myanmar,

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

** †''Tethepomyia thauma'' Grimaldi and Cumming 1999

New Jersey amber New Jersey Amber, sometimes called Raritan amber, is amber found in the Raritan Formation, Raritan and Magothy Formations of the Mid-Atlantic states, Central Atlantic (Eastern) coast of the United States. It is dated to the Late Cretaceous, Turoni ...

Turonian The Turonian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS' geologic timescale, the second age (geology), age in the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch, or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Upper Cretaceous series (stratigraphy), ...

** †''Tethepomyia zigrasi'' Grimaldi and Arillo 2011 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18522068 Brachycera families Prehistoric insect families