Family Hybotidae - Hybotid Dance Flies

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Internet References · Works Cited

Tiny Dance Fly on Elderberry Leaf - Platypalpus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Orthorrhapha)

Superfamily Empidoidea

Family Hybotidae (Hybotid Dance Flies)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

used to be treated as a part of Empididae, incl. in recent important sources(1)(2)(3)

Explanation of Names

Hybotidae Macquart 1823

Numbers

~300 spp. in 25 genera of 3 subfamilies in our area(3), >2,000 spp. in 75 genera total(4)

Identification

"Empidinae normally have a thick beak pointing down. Hybotinae have a thinner beak, or a thick beak pointing forwards or diagonally. Empidinae frequently have vein R4+5 forked. Hybotidae never do. Empidinae have a discal cell with three veins on the distal side. Some Hybotidae do not, or have only two veins." -comment by John F. Carr

Also, generally, the foreleg not raptorial, alula usually present, small, anal lobe usually developed, vein CuA2 forming a distinct angle with basal part of vein A1.

Internet References

diptera.info (photo gallery)

Works Cited

1.	Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 1 Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1981. Research Branch Agriculture Canada.

2.	Insects: Their Natural History And Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America Stephen A. Marshall. 2006. Firefly Books Ltd.

3.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.

4.	Order Diptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification... Pape T., Blagoderov V., Mostovski M.B. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 222–229.

Contributed by Joel Kits on 14 April, 2005 - 8:08pm
Additional contributions by Vox Sciurorum, v belov, Arturo Santos
Last updated 8 July, 2021 - 11:49am

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