Mothfly (Psychodidae) 1.jpg

Psychodidae (Mothfly) in Amber

Dominican Republic
Lower Miocene to Mid Oligocene (30 to 23 million years ago)
This piece measures 20 mm long by 18 mm wide and 4mm thick. Insect- 1mm. Drain flies, sink flies, filter flies, or sewer gnats (Psychodidae) are small true flies (Diptera) with short, hairy bodies and wings giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance, hence one of their common names, moth flies. There are more than 2600 described species worldwide, most of them native to the humid tropics. This makes them one of the most diverse families of their order. Drain flies sometimes inhabit plumbing drains and sewage systems, where they are a harmless but persistent annoyance.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Nematocera
Infraorder: Psychodomorpha
Superfamily: Psychodoidea
Family: Psychodidae