The Empidoidea are a large monophyletic superfamily of true flies, the sister taxon to the Muscomorpha (Cyclorrhapha). These two groups are sometimes united in the unranked taxon Eremoneura. There are some 10,000 known species within Empidoidea, which are represented on all continents except Antarctica. They are known to have existed since the Jurassic period.
Dolichopodidae, the long-legged flies, are a large, cosmopolitan family of true flies with more than 7,000 described species in about 230 genera. The genus Dolichopus is the most speciose, with some 600 species.
Empididae is a family of flies with over 3,000 described species occurring worldwide in all the biogeographic realms but the majority are found in the Holarctic. They are mainly predatory flies like most of their relatives in the Empidoidea, and exhibit a wide range of forms but are generally small to medium-sized, non-metallic and rather bristly.
The Scenopinidae or window flies are a small family of flies (Diptera), distributed worldwide. In buildings, they are often taken at windows, hence the common name window flies.
Hybotidae, the typical dance flies, are a family of true flies. They belong to the superfamily Empidoidea and were formerly included in the Empididae as a subfamily.
Atelestidae is a family of true flies in the superfamily Empidoidea. The four genera were placed in a separate family in 1983; they were formerly either in Platypezidae or considered incertae sedis. While they are doubtless the most basal of the living Empidoidea, the monophyly of the family is not fully proven. The genus Nemedina seems to represent a most ancient lineage among the entire superfamily, while Meghyperus is probably not monophyletic in its present delimitation, and it is liable to be split up eventually, with some species being placed elsewhere. In 2010, the genus Alavesia, previously only known from Cretaceous fossils, was found alive in Namibia, subsequent species were also described from Brazil.
Trichopezinae are a subfamily of empidoid flies. They are mainly predatory flies like most of their relatives, and generally small to medium-sized, long-legged and large-eyed.
Antyx is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae from the Australasian realm. The genus was originally placed in the subfamily Sympycninae, but it was later found to be closer to the Neurigoninae and was placed as incertae sedis within the family. In the World Catalog of Dolichopodidae by Yang et al. (2006), the new subfamily Antyxinae was proposed, in which Antyx is the only genus. However, the validity of this new subfamily was later criticized by Sinclair et al. (2008). According to them, the subfamily's erection by Yang et al. (2006) was not justified by their phylogenetic analysis, and the genus would have been better placed as incertae sedis until a later phylogenetic study determines its placement.
Kowmungia is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It is known from Australia.
Phacaspis is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It is known from Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea. Flies in the genus are small, with metallic green coloring. They are marine, and are commonly found on mudflats in front of mangroves.
Ocydromiinae is a subfamily of hybotid flies.
Brachystomatinae is a subfamily of flies belonging to the family Empididae.
Clinocerinae is a subfamily of flies belonging to the family Empididae.
Kowmunginae is a subfamily of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It was proposed in the World Catalog of Dolichopodidae by Yang et al. (2006) to include two genera previously placed as incertae sedis within the family. However, the validity of this new subfamily was later criticized by Sinclair et al. (2008). According to them, the subfamily's erection by Yang et al. (2006) was not justified by their phylogenetic analysis, and the genera included would have been better placed as incertae sedis until a later phylogenetic study determines their placement.
Parathalassiinae is a subfamily of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It is part of an expanded concept of the family, Dolichopodidae sensu lato, and forms a monophyletic group with Dolichopodidae sensu stricto. It was once placed provisionally in the subfamily Microphorinae as the tribe Parathalassiini.
Plesiothalassius is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It is found along sandy sea coasts in South Africa. It contains three described species. It is closely related to Amphithalassius.
Ceratomerus is a genus of flies in the family Empididae.
Zealandicesa is a genus of flies in the family Empididae.
Microphorella is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It is currently considered both paraphyletic and polyphyletic, and several species groups may need to be recognised as subgenera or genera.
Homalocnemis is a genus of flies which is placed in a family of its own, the Homalocnemiidae. There are about seven species in the genus found in the Afrotropical, Neotropical, and Australasian regions, suggestive of a Gondwanan origin. The genus was formerly considered a primitive empidoid and placed variously in the Hybotidae or in the empidid subfamily Brachystomatinae. They are recognized by their wing venation which includes a long anal cell and a long basal segment of the antennal style.
