Key to species of Empis s. str. of Egypt, Israel and Syria

1 Male ............................................................................................... 2

- Female (unknown for E. insulata, E. nigropilosa, E. cilicauda, E. leucotricha and E. curticornis)..................... 16

2 Vein M 1 incomplete. Fore and mid legs with tarsomeres 1–3 greatly dilated (especially those of fore tarsus) and densely clothed with numerous very long setae dorsally..................................................... E. mirifica (Collin)

- Vein M 1 complete. Fore tarsus with only tarsomere 1 sometimes slightly thickened, mid tarsus with slender tarsomeres; covered with short setae....................................................................................... 3

3 Halter blackish to dark brownish, sometimes stem somewhat paler.............................................. 4

- Halter yellow (rarely yellowish brown, E. inopinata, or stem somewhat darker).................................... 9

4 Abdomen covered with pale setae........................................................................ 5

- Abdomen covered with black setae....................................................................... 6

5 Body with only pale setae; terminalia—Collin (1960: 407, fig. 7)............................... E. leucotricha Collin

- Mesonotum with black setae; terminalia—Collin (1960: 408, fig. 8a)............................ E. curticornis Collin

6 Scutellum with 2 setae; cercus deeply cleft into two lobes ( E. chioptera - type): Collin (1960: 406, fig. 6) [Additional characters: fore basitarsus thickened, wings milky-white, epandrium with long dense setae at apex and below]..... E. cilicauda Collin

- Scutellum with 4–6 setae; cercus unilobate................................................................. 7

7 Acrostichal setae arranged in four irregular rows; hind tibia with posteroapical comb; terminalia as in Fig. 11................................................................................................ E . nigropilosa Collin

- Acrostichal setae biserial; hind tibia without posteroapical comb................................................ 8

8 Wing slightly whitish; phallus long, well exposed; hypandrium short, only slightly extending beyond margin of sternite 8 (Collin 1960: 403, fig. 4)............................................................... E. palaestinensis (Engel)

- Wing distinctly brownish; phallus short, hidden; hypandrium very long, its apex extending almost to apex of cercus (Collin 1960: 404, fig. 5)........................................................................ E. occlusa Collin

9 Abdomen and laterotergite with black setae; hypandrium pilose ventrally (Collin 1960: 409, fig. 9)........ E. pexata Collin

- Abdomen and laterotergite with pale setae (abdominal tergites sometimes with scattered black setae dorsally and laterotergite with additional dark setae); hypandrium bare.............................................................. 10