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Dance flies are known for their mating swarms, in which
large numbers flies, sometimes all of one gender, fly up and
down in a defined area. These swarms sometimes occur during
daylight, but most often at dusk when they are very
difficult to see.
Male dance flies of some species are
known to capture smaller insects and wrap them in silk, then
fly about offering the prey to receptive females in the
swarm. They have even been known to offer empty balls of
silk in an effort to deceive females into mating with them.
It is not known how often this practice is successful,
however, one would think evolutionary pressures would have
eliminated the deceptive strains were it not a viable
reproduction tactic.
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