Mating and Sexual Selection in Empidine Dance Flies (Empididae)

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Sexual selection
• Animal behavior

Background:

• Species with divergent behaviors or morphology provide insights into evolutionary forces driving diversity.
• While elaborate sexually selected traits are typically male, some species exhibit female ornaments.
• The subfamily Empidinae (Diptera: Empididae) is a key example, showcasing varied female ornament expression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review literature on sexual selection and mating systems in Empidinae flies.
• To synthesize evidence for evolutionary forces causing morphological and behavioral diversity in female ornaments.
• To explore the causes and consequences of sexually selected ornament expression in this group.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing studies on Empidinae sexual selection and mating systems.
• Synthesis of evidence for various evolutionary forces potentially driving ornament diversity.
• Analysis of morphological and behavioral data related to female ornamentation.

Main Results:

• Empidinae flies exhibit a continuous variation in female ornament expression, from elaborate to absent.
• This variation presents unique opportunities to study the evolution of sexually selected traits.
• Evolutionary constraints on female ornament exaggeration are discussed in the context of general rarity in animals.

Conclusions:

• The Empidinae subfamily serves as a model for understanding the evolution of female ornaments.
• Further research is needed to explore understudied aspects of this diversity.
• Suggestions for future research in the evolutionary ecology of empidine fly mating behavior are provided.