British Insects: the Families of Diptera
British Insects: the Families of Diptera |
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~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’; terminal segment not annulated. Antennae aristate, or not aristate; the bristle apical. Ptilinal suture absent or weakly defined. Ocelli present; 3. Eyes not meeting (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. The costa not extending around the entire wing. 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). 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.
Larvae and pupae. Larvae hemicephalic. Pupa without a puparium.
Classification. Suborder Brachycera; Division Asilomorpha; Superfamily Empidoidea.
British representation: Genera 20; 175 species.
Illustrations: • 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). • Tachydromia arrogans (Tachydromiinae: Black-banded Tachydromia: B. Ent. 477).
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Diptera. Version: 9th June 2008. http://delta-intkey.com’.
