Subject: Dance Fly, Rhamphomyia sp., Family Empididae

Location: Uphsur County, West Virginia

Stock Number: DEH-22

Comments: With more than 145 species in this genus in America north of Mexico, I'm content to identify this simply as Rhamphomyia sp.

Members of the dance fly family form huge mating swarms. Males offer an insect to a female as a nupital gift, and if the female accepts the gift the duo pairs off and leaves the swarm.