Eremoneura
Guides
Empidoidea
Dance Flies, Long-legged Flies, and Allies
Empidoidea is a large monophyletic superfamily of true flies (Diptera) comprising approximately 10,000 described species across all continents except Antarctica. As the sister taxon to Muscomorpha (Cyclorrhapha), these two groups are sometimes united in the unranked taxon Eremoneura. The superfamily includes several well-known families: Empididae (dagger flies and balloon flies), Dolichopodidae (long-legged flies), and Hybotidae (dance flies). The group has existed since the Jurassic period and has been subject to extensive phylogenetic revision, particularly following molecular studies in 2018 that reshaped relationships among constituent families.