ONH

Dance Flies

Empis sp.

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  • 3303
  • 6489
  • 2877
  • 2890
  • 2955
  • 2914
  • 2038
    1 - Dance Fly, Empis sp. on Mahonia flowers.

    04/27/2008 Railroad Bridge Park, Sequim, WA

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    2 - Dance Fly.

    06/29/2008 Mouth of the Elwha River, Port Angeles, Washington

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    3 - Dance Fly showing typical complex and conspicuous male genetalia.

    06/02/2006 Heart O' the Hills Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    4 - Dance Flies mating.

    04/07/2011 Mouth of the Elwha River, Port Angeles, Washington

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    5 - Dance Flies mating.

    04/07/2011 Mouth of the Elwha River, Port Angeles, Washington

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    6 - Dance Flies mating, hanging from native rose stem. The gift from the male to the female is at the bottom of this photo.

    04/07/2011 Mouth of the Elwha River, Port Angeles, Washington

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    7 - Dance Flies mating (a different pair from slide 6).

    04/07/2011 Mouth of the Elwha River, Port Angeles, Washington

Dance flies, the family Empididae, got their name from the habit of bobbing up and down in the air as they fly in swarms. They mate on the wing.

Males of some dance fly species offer a nuptial meal to a female. The female can be seen feeding on the “gift” in slides 6 and 7.