Hemerodromiini

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Superfamily: Empidoidea
Family: Empididae
Subfamily: Hemerodromiinae
Tribe: Hemerodromiini

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Hemerodromiini: /hɛˌmɛ.roʊ.droʊˈmiː.aɪ.naɪ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Summary

Empididae, known as dagger flies or balloon flies, are a diverse family of predatory flies characterized by their slender body and piercing mouthparts. They play a crucial role in controlling pest populations and have complex mating behaviors.

Physical Characteristics

Small to medium-sized flies (1.0 to 15.0 mm); body slender or elongated, color ranges from yellow to black; non-metallic, bristly; head small and rounded with large eyes; antennae with three segments; long and piercing proboscis; fore legs widely separated from mid legs, often enlarged; raptorial fore legs in some species; wings clear or tinged, often with a stigma spot; venation includes forked radial vein R4+5.

Identification Tips

Distinguished by unrotated and symmetrical terminalia; presence of a precoxal bridge; long and slender legs; eyes sometimes with a notch at the level of the antennae; together with specific wing venation characteristics.

Habitat

Adult empidids are found in forests, on leaves, tree trunks, aquatic vegetation, stream beds, grasslands, agricultural fields, marshes, and coastal zones.

Distribution

Worldwide, with the majority found in the Holarctic region.

Diet

Predatory on various arthropods including other Diptera, Hemiptera, and many more; some species visit flowers for nectar and feed on pollen.

Life Cycle

Larvae have an incomplete head capsule and a segmented abdomen with parapods; found in moist soil, rotten wood, dung, or aquatic habitats; pupae lack a puparium.

Reproduction

Involves complex courtship rituals, including nuptial gifts such as prey items wrapped in silk; diverse mating systems are seen, including swarming and sex-role reversal.

Ecosystem Role

Important natural and biological control agents of various pest insect species; significant for pollination in some species.

Evolution

Empididae have a long evolutionary history, well represented in amber; believed to have been established by the Cretaceous period; related to the families Atelestidae and Hybotidae, although some traditional classifications are undergoing re-evaluation.

Misconceptions

Often confused with dance flies, which are now classified in a separate family (Hybotidae).