Empis opaca
| Empis opaca | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Empis opaca |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Empis opaca | ||||||||||||
| Meigen , 1804 |
Empis opaca is a fly from the family of dance flies (Empididae).
features
The flies reach a body length of 6.5 to 9 millimeters. Their body is black and dusted with gray. On thoracic run unbeborstete longitudinal strips are between those gray velvet stripes with bristles. The head is round and has a long, slightly curved trunk. The thighs ( femora ) are colored brown, the splints ( tibia ) on the front and middle legs are only thinly haired. A reliable determination of the species can only be made through a genital morphological examination.
Occurrence and way of life
The species is common in Central and Western Europe. The animals appear in large swarms on the edge of damp deciduous forests in May. The male catches a fly while soliciting a partner and hovers in the air with his prey. The female rams the male in flight, causing both of them to fall to the ground and the female to turn to the bride present. During this time the pairing takes place. The couple can fly together when connected.
supporting documents
literature
- Joachim Haupt, Hiroko Haupt: Flies and Mosquitoes. Observation, way of life . 1st edition. Naturbuch-Verlag, Jena and Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-89440-278-4 .
Web links
- Empis opaca at Fauna Europaea