The dance flies of Madagascar: Revealing an unknown diversity

The Empidoidea are a monophyletic superfamily of flies that includes dance flies (Empididae), long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae), and several small families (Atelestidae, Hybotidae, and Brachystomatidae).  Empidoids are found worldwide and contain many thousands of species, but none have ever been described from Madagascar.  An ongoing biodiversity survey by the California Academy of Sciences has brought to light many hundreds of undescribed empidoids from the island. My research involves description, databasing, and phylogenetic analyses to establish the first estimates of empidoid species diversity in Madagascar.  This study will contribute to critical surveys of species richness for rapidly degrading habitats in this important biodiversity hotspot.