#3537 - Hilara sp. - Balloon Fly
This one is a female, because it lacks the large silk glands in the forelegs, that males use to wrap nuptial gifts. If the gift - dead insects for preference - is sufficient, she'll allow him to mate. Or the male can be a sneaky bastard and offer a gift-wrapped husk or piece of debris, and mate as quickly as possible before she figures out she's been conned.
The Empididae (also known as Dagger Flies, and some genera known as Dance Flies moved off to their own family, the Hybotidae) exhibit quite complex and varied mating behaviour. In some the nuptial gift never contains food, and she's just impressed by the silk balloon. In other species it's the females that compete for access to males, and some of them have evolved elaborate ornaments to catch his eye.
Toodjay, WA.
