Periscelidids consist of small flies occurring in the Holarctic, Neotropical, and Australasian regions. Genera previously considered as belonging to the Stenomicridae are treated here in the Periscelididae. Little is known of the habits of these flies. Adults of extant forms appear to be similar in habitat requirement to the Aulacigastridae, having been reported as attracted to bleeding wounds and sap fluxes on trees. Larvae have been reared from sap fluxes and galleries of cerambycid beetles.

The fossil record has been relatively poor until the recent revisionary work on the New World amber representatives by Grimaldi & Mathis (1993). Seven species in three genera of fossil periscelidids are recorded in this catalog.

Ref.: Grimaldi & Mathis (1993, revision of New World amber taxa).

*PERISCELIS Loew, 1858: 113. Type species: Periscelis annulipes Loew, 1858, by subsequent designation of Sturtevant (1923: 1).

*MYODRIS Lioy, 1864: 1103 (as genus). Type species: Notiphila annulata Fallén, 1813, by original designation.
ambifera Grimaldi & Mathis, 1993: 387. NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/ Miocene) [A].
annectans Sturtevant, 1963: 122. NT: Mexico (Oligocene/Miocene) [A].
brodzinskyi Grimaldi & Mathis, 1993: 391. NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/Miocene) [A].
fascianota Grimaldi & Mathis, 1993: 389. NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/ Miocene) [A].

*PLANINASUS Cresson, 1914a: 245. Type species: Planinasus ambiguus Cresson, 1914, by original designation.
electrus Grimaldi & Mathis, 1993: 396. NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/ Miocene) [A].

*STENOMICRA Coquillett, 1900b: 262. Type species: Stenomicra angustata Coquillett, 1900, by original designation.
anacrostichalis Grimaldi & Mathis, 1993: 401. NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/Miocene) [A].
sabroskyi Grimaldi & Mathis, 1993: 399. NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/ Miocene) [A].