Diptera: Empididae (Dance Flies):
Empidinae: Empis
sp.
A Web Page by Roy J. Beckemeyer
Last Updated 9 Oct. 2004
Left:
One of three specimens of a dance fly (Diptera: Empididae) captured in April,
2004 by Glenn A. Salsbury (co-author of Insects in Kansas) in a canopy
malaise trap. Glenn has been giving me robber flies (Asilidae) as he
catches them, and he thought that I might be interested in these dipterans given
their slight similarity in form to asilids. He was correct. These
are the first empids I have worked with, but they are pretty fascinating.
Keys in Manual of Nearctic Diptera Vol. 1 work out to it being in the
genus Empis. Empids are predacious flies and take their common
name, dance flies, from their habit of flying in an up-and-down fashion.
Upper Right: Wing venation of Empis sp. Using terminology of McAlpine
et al.
Left:
Dorsal view of antennae of Empis sp.
Right: Lateral view of thorax and head showing length of proboscis and setae
on tergite anterior to the haltere.
Left:
Dorsal view of head showing ocelli.
Right: Lateral view of male terminalia of Empis sp.
Background: Lateral habitus view after Borror & White, A Field Guide
To The Insects showing Empis sp. and a wing venation drawing from
Williston's North American Diptera.
Left:
One of three specimens of a dance fly (Diptera: Empididae) captured in April,
2004 by Glenn A. Salsbury (co-author of Insects in Kansas) in a canopy
malaise trap. Glenn has been giving me robber flies (Asilidae) as he
catches them, and he thought that I might be interested in these dipterans given
their slight similarity in form to asilids. He was correct. These
are the first empids I have worked with, but they are pretty fascinating.
Keys in Manual of Nearctic Diptera Vol. 1 work out to it being in the
genus Empis. Empids are predacious flies and take their common
name, dance flies, from their habit of flying in an up-and-down fashion.
Left:
Dorsal view of antennae of Empis sp. 
Left:
Dorsal view of head showing ocelli.