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Athericidae is a small family of Fly known as water snipe flies or ibis flies. They used to be placed in the family Rhagionidae, but were removed by Stuckenberg in 1973. They are now known to be more closely related to Tabanidae. Species of Athericidae are found worldwide.
The larvae have distinctive morphology. Their head capsule is well developed dorsally, and they have long abdominal with crocheted hooks. These structures help the larvae move without being washed away in their preferred larval habitat, fast-flowing montane streams and torrents. The larvae are predators of other aquatic invertebrates such as Trichoptera. Adults have stout, tapered abdomens, slightly elongated legs, with aristate antennae. Males are sexually dimorphic with holoptic eyes.
Adult athericids usually rest on the upper surface of leaves, near the streams from which they emerge, or more inland if they are looking for a blood meal. Athericids commonly stroke or palpate the surface of leaves, an action they share with the Tabanidae. All species deposit their eggs at one time and then die.
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