FIRST RECORD OF THE RELICT AUSTRALIAN GENUS MEUNIEROHELEA IN MIOCENE DOMINICAN AMBER (DIPTERA: CERATOPOGONIDAE)

A new fossil species Meunierohelea fudalai sp. nov. from Miocene Dominican amber (16 Ma) is described and illustrated. The genus Meunierohelea is known from one extant species occurring in NE Australia, four named species from Eocene Baltic amber (45 Ma), and three species from Eocene Indian amber from Cambay (53 Ma). The present record indicates that, during its phylogenetic history, this group of predatory biting midges had a broad, probably worldwide, distribution.