Empididae

plural noun

Em·​pid·​i·​dae

emˈpidəˌdē

: a large family of small predaceous brachycerous flies that fly in swarms with a dancing movement in the mating season, the males of many species courting the females with prey captured in silken balloons or webs produced from silk glands on their forelegs

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Empid-, Empis, type genus (from Greek empid-, empis mosquito, gnat) + -idae

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