Empidoidea

Definition

A large monophyletic superfamily of true flies (Diptera: Brachycera), sister group to the Muscomorpha (Cyclorrhapha); together these form the unranked clade Eremoneura. Empidoidea comprises some 10,000 described species in approximately 10 families, including the dance flies (Empididae), long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae), and hybotid flies (Hybotidae). Members are found on all continents except Antarctica and are known from the Jurassic period. Adults are generally predatory or nectar-feeding, with diverse mating systems including elaborate courtship swarms and nuptial gift provisioning in empidids.

Etymology

From Empis (type genus of Empididae) + -oidea (superfamily suffix)

Example

Male dance flies in the Empididae (Empidoidea) often present captured prey as nuptial gifts to females during aerial mating swarms, a behavior that has made the group a model system for studying sexual selection.

Related Terms

• Muscomorpha
• Eremoneura
• Brachycera
• Diptera
• Empididae
• Dolichopodidae
• Hybotidae
• Asiloidea
• Cyclorrhapha

Usage Notes

Sometimes treated as part of the broader Asilomorpha infraorder; the superfamily rank is stable, though family-level composition has been revised with the elevation of several former empidid subfamilies (e.g., Atelestidae, Brachystomatidae). Distinguished from the similar-sounding Empididae (family) by the -oidea suffix indicating superfamily status. The sister-group relationship to Muscomorpha is well-supported by molecular and morphological data.