Dance Flies are sometimes called ballerinas or Ballerina flies.

“Dance fly” is the primary name for a family of insects known for their intricate mating rituals.

However, “Ballerina” is often used as a creative term for these same insects.

The Dance Fly (Insect)Members of the family Empididae are commonly called dance flies because of the way males gather in swarms and fly up and down in a rhythmic, dance-like motion to attract mates.

Courtship Gifts: In many species, the male must bring a “wedding gift”—usually a smaller insect—to the female to initiate mating.

Balloon Flies: Some are also known as balloon flies because they wrap their prey in a silk ball before presenting it. Ballerina Reference: Some observers informally refer to them as “black dancing ballerinas” due to their graceful aerial movements.