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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Empidoidea » Dance Flies (Empididae) » Empidinae » Empis » subgenus Anacrostichus (Empis subgenus Anacrostichus) » Empis spectabilis
Photo#766893
Empididae - Empis spectabilis - male - female
Copyright © 2013 John Lampkin

Empididae - Empis spectabilis - Male Female
Warren Grove - Pine Barrens, Ocean County, New Jersey, USA
May 4, 2013
Although there is no view of a mystax here, this appears to me to be mating robber flies with the female enjoying a coital snack. A spider, perhaps?
Whatever you do, don't try this at home, folks.
[Title changed from Robber Flies to Empididae after receiving the comments below]
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Contributed by John Lampkin on 4 May, 2013 - 9:15pm
Last updated 20 September, 2014 - 1:51am

Moved
Moved from Empidinae.
… John S. Ascher, 20 September, 2014 - 1:51am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… John F. Carr, 11 May, 2013 - 4:26pm login or register to post comments

I totally agree ...
The last time I tried this at home, one of the legs on my dining room table broke.
… Robert Lord Zimlich, 5 May, 2013 - 1:54pm login or register to post comments

 
At least, thankfully, ...
It wasn't at a restaurant.
But it's actually his own forelegs that look like they're going to break. He probably figures it's worth the pain.
"Hey babe, I brought you this present. Wanna go hang out?"
… John Lampkin, 8 May, 2013 - 9:12am login or register to post comments

Empididae, I think
Not robbers, at any rate. Hold on to see if others agree.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 4 May, 2013 - 9:26pm login or register to post comments

 
I agree
Mouthparts and antennae indicate Empididae.
… josephfortier, 4 May, 2013 - 11:06pm login or register to post comments

 
At least this one didn't offer an epmty balloon
… margarethe brummermann, 5 May, 2013 - 9:17pm login or register to post comments

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