Empidoidea

Taxobox
name = Empidoidea


image_width = 220px
image_caption = "Empis" sp.
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
subclassis = Pterygota
infraclassis = Neoptera
superordo = Endopterygota|
ordo = Diptera
subordo = Brachycera
infraordo = Asilomorpha
superfamilia = Empidoidea
superfamilia_authority =
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision = 4, see text

The Empidoidea are a large monophyletic superfamily of true flies, the sister taxon to the Muscomorpha (= "Cyclorrhapha"). These two groups are sometimes united in the unranked taxon Eremoneura. There are some 10,000 known species in the EmpidoideaMoulton & Wiegmann (2007)] .

The majority of these insects are predatory, often with large compound eyes (sometimes covering almost the entire surface of the head), and tend to be associated with moist, temperate habitats. Many have a well-developed anal lobe in the wings, and/or a small but distinct anal cell.

ystematics

The most familiar families in the group are the Empididae and Dolichopodidae, both of which occur worldwide and contain thousands of species. The smaller families were formerly included in the Empididae, but have since been accorded family status [Sinclair & Cumming (2006)] . The Brachystomatinae and Microphoridae are sometimes elevated to full-blown families too, but this would apparently make the Empididae and Dolichopodidae paraphyletic and thus they are retained as subfamilies here.

It seems that the present systematic treatment essentially reflects phylogeny rather well; there are some of the more basal taxa in each lineage which are of more uncertain position in cladistic analyses, but at least as an interim solution, the four-family approach seems most warranted. Arranged in phylogenetic sequence, the families are:
* Atelestidae
* Hybotidae – dance flies
* Dolichopodidae – long-legged flies (including Microphoridae)
* Empididae – dagger flies and balloon flies (including Brachystomatinae)

Footnotes

References

* (2007): The phylogenetic relationships of flies in the superfamily Empidoidea (Insecta: Diptera). "Mol. Phylogenet. Evol." 43(3): 701-713. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2007.02.029 (HTML abstract)
* (2006): The morphology, higher-level phylogeny and classification of the Empidoidea (Diptera). "Zootaxa" 1180: 1-172. [http://www.uoguelph.ca/nadsfly/Doid/Doidclass/SinclairCumming2006.pdf PDF fulltext]