The male genital and pregenital skeleton and musculature were studied in males of the following species of the Muscidae subfamily Phaoniinae: Helina luteisquama (Zetterstedt, 1845), H. bohemani (Ringdahl, 1916), Phaonia meigeni Pont, 1986, Ph . hybrida (Schnabl, 1888) and Ph . lugubris (Meigen, 1826). The examined species are very similar in the structure of the sclerites and muscles of their terminal segments. The structure of the pregenital muscles in Phaoniinae is similar to that in the subfamily Azeliinae, which occupies the basal position within the Muscidae. The fewer number of phallapodeme muscles, surstylus muscles, and muscles of the subepandrial sclerites in Phaoniinae demonstrates the apomorphic character states and does not allow placing this subfamily at the base of the Muscidae branch. In general, the structure of the male pregenital musculature of the Phaoniinae is most similar to that in the Mydaeinae, and both the Phaoniinae and the Mydaeinae occupy an intermediate position between the basal Azeliinae and the progressive Muscinae.