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| the Dance Fly Pages |
Diversity |
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| About Dance Flies | Dance
fly diversity may be an example an effect predicted originally by
Darwin - that groups of organisms characterized by conspicuous
ornaments and markings for attracting mates may form new species at an
increased rate. Such ornaments reflect the process of evolution
by sexual selection, which is ubiquitous in nature, but may be unusually strong in dance flies (see Morphology, Behavior). The subfamily Empidinae (Diptera: Empididae) has at least 1,500 described species, but it is expected that twice this number of species actually exist. Dance flies are particularly well-known in Europe where nearly 600 species are known. The diversity is not fully known in other regions, especially North America and Australia. In North America alone, about 500 undescribed species of empidines are known in museum collections! |
| Diversity | |
| Phylogeny | |
| Morphology | |
| Behavior | |
| Database | |
| References | |
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| Education | In north temperate areas, there are three large genera of empidines: Empis, Rhamphomyia, and Hilara, each
with hundreds of species. 27 other genera are recognized, mostly
in the southern hemisphere. Empis and Rhamphomyia
are further split into a number of subgenera, but this classification
does not accomodate many species outside of Europe and northern Asia.
The classification of the Empidinae
is summarized below (after Sinclair & Cumming, 2006). Click on
thumbnail images at right for a larger picture. |
| About this Project | |
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| Order Diptera | ||
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Family Empididae
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Known diversity (approximate) | |
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Subfamily Empidinae
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Tribe Empidini
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Empis
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350 spp., widespread (mostly N. hemisphere) |       |
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Rhamphomyia
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450 spp., N. hemisphere (at least 400 additional undescribed in North America) |        |
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Clinorhampha
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3 spp., South America |  |
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Edenophorus
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7 spp., South Africa | |
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Empidadelpha
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3 spp., Chile, New Zealand | |
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Hystrichonotus
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1 sp., Chile |  |
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Lamprempis
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20 spp., South and Central America |  |
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Macrostomus
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13+ spp., S. America |   |
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Opeatocerata
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1 sp., South and Central America | |
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Porphyrochroa
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40+ spp., S. and C. America |  |
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Rhamphella
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1 sp., Australia | |
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Sphicosa
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9 spp., South America | |
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Tribe Hilarini
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Hilara
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300+ spp., worldwide |      |
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Afroempis
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1 sp., South Africa | |
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Allochrotus
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1 sp., Chile |  |
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Amictoides
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1 sp., Chile | |
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Aplomera
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17 spp., South America | |
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Atrichopleura
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25 spp, S. America, S. Africa, N.Z. | |
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Bandella
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9 spp., Australia | |
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Cunomyia
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1 sp., Tasmania | |
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Deuteragonista
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7 spp., South America | |
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Eugowra
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3 spp., Australia | |
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Gynatoma
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6 spp., New Zealand |  |
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Hilarempis
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110+ spp., S. America, S. Africa, Australia, New Zealand |     |
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Hilarigona
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22 spp., S. America |    |
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Hybomyia
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1 sp., New Zealand | |
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Munbarra
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1 sp., Australia | |
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Pasitrochus
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1 sp., Chile | |
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Thinempis
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6 spp., Australia, New Zealand |  |
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Trichohilara
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1 sp., Argentina |