Empidoidea

thumb|Pictures of posterior part of abdomen. (A–E) male genitalia in dorsal view, Atelestus pulicarius (A), Neurigona suturalis (B), Empis vitripennis (C), Hybos grossipes (D), Ragas unica (E); (F, G) male genitalia in dorsal view, Clinocera nivalis (F), E. vitripennis (G); (H–J), female genitalia in dorsal view, C. nivalis (H), E. vitripennis (I), Trichopeza longicornis (J). thumb|Photographs of right wing of several Empidoidea species. Abbreviations: h, humeral crossvein; Rs, radial sector; r‐m, radial‐medial crossvein; M1, first medial vein; M1+2, first and second medial vein (unbranched); R4, fourth radial vein; R5, fifth radial vein; R4+5, fourth and fifth radial vein (unbranched); A1, anal vein; CuA2, second anterior branch of cubital vein; bm‐cu, basal medial‐cubital crossvein; dm, discal medial cell; bm, basal medial cell; cup, posterior cubital cell (anal cell). The Empidoidea are a large monophyletic superfamily of true flies, the sister taxon to the Muscomorpha (Cyclorrhapha). These two groups are sometimes united in the unranked taxon Eremoneura. There are some 10,000 known species within Empidoidea, which are represented on all continents except Antarctica. They are known to have existed since the Jurassic period.

Empidoidea has been subject to much debate regarding its phylogeny. Based on morphology alone, three major hypotheses had been proposed until 2007 and seemed to be consensus for some time—however, in 2018, Wahlberg & Johanson published the most current phylogeny supported by extensive genetic data, changing the relationship between quite a few families and tribes.