Humpback dance flies

Humpback dance flies
Hybos culiciformis
Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta) Order : Fly (Diptera) Subordination : Flies (Brachycera) Partial order : Asilomorpha Superfamily : Empidoidea Family : Humpback dance flies
Scientific name
Hybotidae
Fallén , 1816
Subfamilies
Hybotinae Ocydromiinae Tachydrominae

The humpback dance flies (Hybotidae) are a family of the two-winged (Diptera) and are assigned to the flies (Brachycera). The representatives of this family used to be assigned to the dance flies (Empipidae), but today they represent a separate family due to morphological differences. Worldwide about 1300 species of this group are known, in Germany about 200.

features

The small flies are partly colored black and reach body lengths between 0.7 and 5.5 millimeters. The chest section is often strongly arched (eponymous) and in most species a pair of legs has been transformed into strong, robbery legs. The thigh ( femur ) is clearly thickened and thorny, the lower leg ( tibia ) is correspondingly curved. This reshaping can affect the front legs ( Tachydromia , Tachypeza ) as well as the middle ( Platypalpus ) and hind legs ( Hybos ).

Play media file

Tachypeza nubila with prey
(video, 2:23 min.)

Play media file

Hybos culiciformis with prey (video, 2:02 min.)

Way of life

The humpback dance flies are hunters and often occur in large numbers in demarcated habitats. For example, up to 80 species can be found in cities, around 30 in forests and 37 species in orchards . This coexistence is explained by the unrivaled occupation of niches and the unspecific choice of prey. The flies are very often in the bush or in damp foliage and often hunt their prey continuously , some species are also flower visitors.

Mating usually takes place on the ground, and parthenogenesis has also been observed in some species .

In the species Ocydromia glabricula , the larvae are born alive. The females lay the larvae in flight over manure , in which they develop. Most other species lay eggs. The larvae live up to 30 centimeters deep in the ground and also overwinter there or in fallen leaves, under bark and in dung.

Systematics

The humpback dance flies are divided into 3 subfamilies with several branches . More than 2000 species in 75 genera are assigned to the family. The following is a list of the subfamilies and tribes with a selection of species:

• Hybotinae
  • • Hybos culiciformis
• Ocydromiinae
  • Bicellariini
  • Ocydromiini
  • Oedaleini
• Tachydromiinae
  • Drapetini
  • Symballophthalmini
  • Tachydromiini
    • Platypalpus agilis
    • Tachypeza nubila

literature

• M. Chvála: The Empidoidea (Diptera) of Fennscandia and Denmark , II. Faun. Ent. Scand. 1983, 12: 1-275
• J. Haupt, H. Haupt: Flies and mosquitoes - observation, way of life. Augsburg 1998
• K. Honomichl, H. Bellmann: Biology and ecology of the insects. CD-ROM, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart 1994

Web links

Commons : Humpback Dancing Flies  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Family Hybotidae - Hybotid Dance Flies . bugguide.net. Retrieved September 18, 2018.