Thoracic-pattern
Guides
Empis tridentata
Empis tridentata is a species of dance fly in the family Empididae, first described by Coquillett in 1901. The species is distinguished by a distinctive trident-shaped gray marking on the thorax. Like other empidids, adults are predatory and exhibit complex mating behaviors involving swarming and nuptial gift exchange. The species name refers to the three-pointed thoracic marking that serves as a key diagnostic feature.