The oldest fossil Stiletto fly: a new genus and species from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil (Diptera: Therevidae)

A new extinct genus of the Diptera family Therevidae is described from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Northeastern Brazil. Cretothereva antiqua gen. et sp. nov. is the oldest known fossil of the family Therevidae and the entire therevoid clade. The new taxon cannot be classified in any existing subfamily, and probably correspond to a stem lineage of the Therevidae. The new finding presented herein brings light on the minimum age of therevoids, and falsifies current biogeographical hypotheses standing for a North American origin of the family Therevidae. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A new extinct genus of the Diptera family Therevidae is described from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Northeastern Brazil. This new finding sheds light on the minimum age of therevoids, and falsifies current biogeographical hypotheses standing for a North American origin of the family Therevidae.