British Insects: the Families of Diptera


L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz


~Empididae. Including Ocydromiinae and Tachydromiinae, formerly referred to Empididae.


Adult insects. Very small to small; slender-bodied to robustly-built; stilt-legged, or not stilt-legged. Antennae 3 segmented; ‘modified’; with a non-annulated terminal segment; aristate, or not aristate; the arista apical. Ptilinal suture absent or weakly defined. Ocelli present; 3. Eyes rounded, well separated (and usually nicked in the inner margin, near the bases of the antennae). The maxillary palps 1 segmented, or 2 segmented; porrect. Wings with a discal cell (Tachydromiinae), or without a discal cell (usually, in the rest); without a sub-apical cell; with a closed anal cell, or without a closed anal cell. The anal cell when present, relatively long to short. Sub-costa apparent, or absent or only dubiously identifiable (e.g., Tachypeza?); if recognisable, terminating blind (e.g., Ocydromia, Tachydromia,Platypalpus, Hybos), or joining vein 1 well short of the costa (e.g., Syneches). Wing vein 6 present, or absent; reaching the wing margin, or falling short of the wing margin. Wings patterned, or unpatterned. Tibiae spurred (associated with capturing prey), or without spurs. Feet without a triple pad.

Larvae and pupae. The larvae hemicephalic. The pupae without a puparium.

Classification. Suborder Brachycera; Division Asilomorpha; Superfamily Empidoidea.

British representation. 175 species in Britain. Genera 20; Anthalia, Bicellaria, Chersodromia, Crossopalpus, Drapetis, Euthyneura, Hybos, Leptopeza, Ocydromia, Platypalpus, Oedalea, Oropezella, Stilpon, Symballophthalmus, Syndyas, Syneches, Tachydromia, Tachypeza, Trichina, Trichinomyia.

Illustrations. • Hybos grossipes: B. Ent. 661. • Hybos grossipes: B. Ent. 661, legend+text. • Hybos grossipes: B. Ent. 661, text cont.. • Bicellaria, Euthyneuria, Leptopeza, Ocydromia, Oedalea, Platypalpus, Trichina (from Walker). • Chersodromia, Crossopalpus, Drapetis, Hybos, Platypalpus, Stilpon, Tachydromia (from Walker). • Crossopalpus curvipes (Tachydromiinae: Sea-coast Drapetis: B. Ent. 397). • Crossopalpus curvipes (detail: B. Ent. 397). • Crossopalpus curvipes (dissections: B. Ent. 397). • Crossopalpus curvipes: B. Ent. 397, legend+text. • Crossopalpus curvipes: B. Ent. 397, text cont.. • Tachydromia arrogans (Tachydromiinae: Black-banded Tachydromia: B. Ent. 477). • Tachydromia arrogans: B. Ent. 477, legend+text. • Tachydromia arrogans: B. Ent. 477, text cont..

