Dance with me
I had an amazing BUG day! It’s always amazing when you find one as interesting as this one. Check out the proboscis.
This is Empis barbatoides, I believe, a species of Dance fly in the family Empididae. SHE (you can see her ovipositor at the end), was in the back of my truck on some cardboard I am using for landscaping.
I find the behavior of these flies to be so interesting. When they are in mating swarms, the male flies will dance about to entice the female. The most fascinating part is they often are carrying a captured insect, usually a Bibionid fly, wrapped in silk, as an offering or nuptial gift.
Females seem to prefer a male with the most enticing balloon. Some males only carry an empty ball of silk. My guess is they get whoever is leftover. 😉
These flies and their developing larvae are found in moist wooded habitats (mixed deciduous and coniferous) with many clearings and open patches.
Larvae are often in decaying vegetation, or even under the bark of trees.
Adult flies are approx 9-10mm
For some fantastic (not mine) photos of the males carrying balloons, check out the bugguide link below.
References
Alcock , John. 1973. The mating behaviour of Empis barbatoides Melander and Empis poplitea Loew (Diptera: Empididae), Journal of Natural History, 7:4, 411-420, DOI: 10.1080/00222937300770301
Bugguide. 2023. Family Empididae – Dance Flies. https://bugguide.net/node/view/6578
Pehling, D. 2004. Empis Dance Flies Empis spp. Bug of the Month . Scarabogram. https://crawford.tardigrade.net/bugs/BugofMonth40.html
Bugging You From San Juan Island 