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I made this picture back at the end of March. Note the specialized middle pair of legs. Does anyone know what this is specialization is used for?

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This looks like Hilara on first sight but I would not mind seeing a closer view. I cannot really make out the fork that is supposed to be in R4+5 so it may be one of the indigenous Japanese Rhamphomyia's as well.

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Thx Paul. I magnified the details, hope this helps.

Any idea for the specialsation on the middle pair of legs. This is the only Empidid fly where this was obviously present.

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One idea that I have comes from the fact that I observed this fly on the shore of Japan. Maybe the larva lives in the sand at the beach, and the widened legs help the fly to get out from among the sand. Maybe the two wide dots on the wings are also sand particles attached.

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Yes, this is Rhamphomyia. I will start digging in my papers.