Sexual Characters and Diversification in Empidine Dance Flies (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae)

舞蝇(双翅目：跳蝇科：跳蝇亚科)是2000多个物种的谱系，表现出一套特殊的交配行为和形态，使它们成为昆虫性别选择最常被引用的例子之一。他们是许多详细的行为研究和教科书例子的主题。这项合作研究整合了分子、行为和形态数据收集，以开发一个全面的进化分类。在特定的焦点分支内研究行为和性形态的演变，以确定与成群、性别角色颠倒、呈现婚礼礼物(“气球”)和两性冲突有关的关键特征。遗传数据被用来构建和提供有关舞蹈苍蝇多样性产生的进化假设的测试，并检查这些发现对其他生物体的影响。项目结果将检验长期存在的关于交配系统进化的假设，并提供关键的经验证据，支持在不同昆虫谱系中性别选择和多样化比率动态之间的假设联系。该项目包括学术培训和外展计划，包括将通过项目网站提供的教育材料，以及面向本科生和K-12级别的在线资源。

The dance flies (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae), a lineage of over 2,000 species, exhibit a suite of specialized mating behaviors and morphology that place them among the most commonly cited examples of sexual selection in insects. They are the subject of many detailed behavioral studies and textbook examples. This collaborative study integrates molecular, behavioral and morphological data collection to develop a comprehensive evolutionary classification for the Empidinae. Evolution of behavior and sexual morphology is studied within specific focal clades to identify key traits involved in swarming, sex-role reversal, presentation of nuptial gifts ("ballooning"), and intersexual conflict. Genetic data are used to frame and inform tests of evolutionary hypotheses concerning generation of diversity in dance flies and examine the implication of these findings other organisms. Project results will test long-standing hypotheses on mating system evolution and provide key empirical evidence in support of the hypothesized link between sexual selection and diversification rate dynamics in a diverse lineage of insects. The project involves academic training and a program of outreach, including educational material that will be presented via the project website, and online resources for undergraduate and K-12 levels.