A dance fly (Empididae: Hilarempis Bezzi) from the Foulden Maar Fossil-Lagerstätte (Early Miocene, New Zealand)

Abstract

AbstractNew Zealand has a diverse and highly endemic fauna of dance flies (Empididae) with much of its diversity found in the tribe Hilarini. Here we report the first fossil of a dance fly from New Zealand from lacustrine diatomites of the earliest Miocene Foulden Maar Fossil-Lagerstätte in Otago. Hilarempis otagoensis sp. nov. is described from a single male specimen and assigned to the tribe Hilarini based on characters of the wing venation. This new species represents the first fossil record of the predominantly southern temperate genus Hilarempis Bezzi and the second fossil record of the subfamily Empidinae from the Southern Hemisphere. The articulated preservation suggests that Hilarempis otagoensis sp. nov. lived among riparian vegetation on the shore of the Foulden Maar palaeolake and probably drowned while skimming the water surface in search for prey or nuptial gifts.