Apystomyiidae is a small family of flies containing the living genus Apystomyia and the extinct genera Apystomimus and Hilarimorphites.
Conversely a new family, Apystomyiidae, was erected for the genus by Nagatomi and Liu based on the distinct structure of the male and female terminalia.
both extinct genera have very similar wing structure, and are distinguished by the notably large cerci of Apystomimus zaitzevi, combined with the smaller wing-to-body ratio compared to that seen in Hilarimorphites.
[3] The group existed as a clade or stem grade on Laurasia from the Late Jurassic Karatau Lagerstätte of Kazakhstan through the middle Cretaceous Burmese amber forest.
[3] The Late Cretaceous New Jersey amber forest species are the oldest members of the clade in North America and the family is now reduced to a relic modern range scattered in California.