Dance Fly

Hybotidae, the typical dance flies, are a family of true flies. They belong to the superfamily Empidoidea and were formerly included in the Empididae as a subfamily.

Some, such as ''Tachydromia'', are predators that run around on the bark of trees in complex patterns, hence the common name. ''Tachydromia'' species are only about three millimeters long.

Description

Hybotidae share some similarities with the family Dolichopodidae, when looking at rotation of genitalia and wing characteristics. Male terminalia are rotated dextrally between 45° and 90°, excluding segment 7. Hybotidae wings always have a simple R₄₊₅ vein, where the costa either ends near or at M₁/M₁₊₂, or near or at R₄₊₅/R₅. Furthermore, it can be distinguished from Dolichopodidae by the point of vein R_s, which it at a distance from the humeral crossvein (h) equal to or longer than the length of h.

Systematics

The Hybotidae clearly form a lineage quite distinct from the Empididae. Among the Empidoidea, they represent a lineage more basal than the main radiation of Empididae and Dolichopodidae, though they are not as ancient as the genera placed in the Atelestidae.

By and large, the Hybotidae are monophyletic. Among its subfamilies, the Hybotinae and Tachydromiinae certainly represent clades. The status of the Ocydromiinae as a natural group is less clear, in particular whether the Trichininae should be included as tribe Trichinini or even in the Bicellariini or Oedaleini, or whether they are more distinct and warrant recognition as a separate subfamily.

Based on the most recent phylogenetic studies, the relationship between Hybotidae and other members of Empidoidea is as follows. The placement of Hybotidae is emphasized in bold formatting.

Systematic list

The subfamilies with their tribes and selected genera are:

Hybotinae Meigen, 1820

* '' Acarterus'' Loew, 1858
* '' Afrohybos'' Smith, 1967
* '' Ceratohybos'' Bezzi
* '' Chillcottomyia'' Saigusa, 1986
* ''Euhybus'' Coquillett, 1895
*†'' Eternia'' Martins-Neto et al. 1992 Tremembé Formation, Brazil, Chattian
* ''Hybos'' Meigen, 1803
* '' Lactistomyia'' Melander, 1902
* '' Lamachella'' Melander, 1928
* '' Neohybos'' Ale-Rocha & Carvalho, 2003
* '' Parahybos'' Kertész, 1899
*†'' Pseudoacarterus'' Waters 1989 Orapa, Botswana, Turonian
* '' Smithybos'' Ale-Rocha, 2000
* '' Stenoproctus'' Loew, 1858
* ''Syndyas'' Loew, 1857
* ''Syneches'' Walker, 1852
*†'' Syneproctus'' Solórzano-Kraemer et al. 2020 Dominican amber, Miocene

Ocydromiinae

* Tribe Bicellariini Bradley, Sinclair & Cumming, 2006
** ''Bicellaria'' Macquart, 1823
** '' Hoplocyrtoma''
** '' Leptocyrtoma''
* Tribe Ocydromiini
** '' Leptodromiella'' Tuomikoski, 1936
** ''Leptopeza'' Macquart, 1834
** ''Ocydromia'' Meigen, 1820
** '' Oropezella'' Collin, 1926
* Tribe Oedaleini Chvála, 1983
** ''Allanthalia'' Melander, 1927
** ''Anthalia'' Zetterstedt, 1838
** '' Euthyneura'' Macquart, 1836
** ''Oedalea'' Meigen, 1820
*†'' Ecommocydromia'' Schlüter 1978 Bezonnais amber, France, Cenomanian
*†'' Pouillonhybos'' Ngô-Muller et al. 2020, Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian

Trichininae (often included in Ocydromiinae)
* '' Trichina'' Meigen, 1830
* ''Trichinomyia'' Tuomikoski, 1959

* Tribe Symballophthalmini Bradley, Sinclair & Cumming, 2006
** ''Symballophthalmus'' Becker'', 1889''
* Tribe Drapetini Collin, 1961
** '' Allodromia'' Smith, 1962
** '' Atodrapetis'' Plant, 1997
** '' Austrodrapetis'' Smith, 1964
** '' Austrodromia'' Collin, 1961
** '' Chaetodromia'' Chillcott & Teskey, 1983
** '' Chersodromia'' Haliday in Walker, 1851
** '' Crossopalpus'' Bigot, 1857
** '' Drapetis'' Meigen, 1822
** '' Dusmetina'' Gil Collado, 1930
** '' Elaphropeza'' Macquart, 1827
** '' Isodrapetis'' Collin, 1961
** '' Megagrapha'' Melander, 1928
** '' Micrempis'' Melander, 1928
** '' Nanodromia'' Grootaert, 1994
** ''Ngaheremyia'' Plant & Didham, 2006
** '' Pontodromia'' Grootaert, 1994
** '' Sinodrapetis'' Yang, Gaimari & Grootaert, 2004
** '' Stilpon'' Loew, 1859
*Tribe Tachydromiini
** ''Charadrodromia'' Melander, 1928
** ''Dysaletria'' Loew, 1864
** '' Pieltainia'' Arias, 1919
** ''Platypalpus'' Macquart, 1827
** ''Tachydromia'' Meigen, 1803
** ''Tachyempis'' Melander, 1928
** '' Tachypeza'' Meigen, 1830

*†'' Archaeodrapetiops'' Martins-Neto et al. 1992 Tremembé Formation, Brazil, Chattian
*†'' Cretoplatypalpus'' Kovalev 1978 Taimyr amber, Russia, Santonian, Canadian amber, Campanian
*†'' Electrocyrtoma'' Cockerell 1917 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
*†'' Mesoplatypalpus'' Grimaldi and Cumming 1999 Canadian amber, Campanian

''Incertae sedis''

*†'' Trichinites'' Hennig 1970 Lebanese amber, Barremian

References

External links

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Family description


Images
at Diptera.info


Key to UK genera

{{Taxonbar, from=Q594004

Hybotidae,
Brachycera families
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