While volume 1 includes several introductory chapters and treats 42 families of flies in the Lower Diptera, volume 2 covers the remaining 64 families of flies that make up the Higher Diptera (or Cyclorrhapha). These include families of house flies, fruit flies, bot flies, flower flies and many other lesser-known groups. The text is accompanies by over 1660 line drawings and photographs.

The World Catalogue of the Conopidae offers the first complete list of this Diptera family worldwide since 1919. 808 recent and fossil species, together with their synonyms, belonging to 57 genera are listed. All original descriptions have been verified by the author. Type material and its depository is described for every species, the published distribution for each species is documented at the country level, and a complete list of references is provided for every record. Published information concerning hosts, possible hosts and egg carriers is compiled, with some 309 host species being reported for 73 species of Conopidae. With more than 1450 literature citations, this catalogue presents by far the most complete taxonomic assessment of this family produced to date.

The European families of the Diptera presents an identification key and family descriptions of all 132 families of Diptera (midges, mosquitoes, gnats, true flies) occurring in Europe. It is written by a well-known Dutch specialist, in collaboration with over 30 European dipterists. For the extensive identification key a new combination of important characters is employed, enabling relatively easy identification of families which are aberrant or traditionally considered difficult to identify. Over 600 line drawings are included to illustrate characters and families. Apart from the key, the book includes an extensive chapter on terminology. Information on systematics and the number of genera and species in Europe, a survey of the main characters, a summary of the biology and of the pertaining identification literature is included for all families. Due to its design and content, the book will be of interest to the lay public and the serious amateur alike.

This is the first comprehensive synopsis of the biodiversity of Diptera, with chapters on all regional faunas, Diptera as ecological indicators, statistical techniques for estimating species diversity based on the known fauna, molecular tools and trends in digital publication.

Visitors to tropical forests generally come to see the birds, mammals, and plants. Aside from butterflies, however, insects usually do not make it on the list of things to see. This is a shame. Insects are everywhere, they are often as beautiful as the showiest of birds, and they have a fascinating natural history. With their beautifully illustrated guide to insects and other arthropods, Paul E. Hanson and Kenji Nishida put the focus on readily observable insects that one encounters while strolling through a tropical forest in the Americas. It is a general belief that insects in the tropics are larger and more colorful than insects in temperate regions, but this simply reflects a greater diversity of nearly all types of insects in the tropics. On a single rainforest tree, for example, you will find more species of ant than in all of England.Though written for those who have no prior knowledge of insects, this book should also prove useful to those who study them. In addition to descriptions of the principal insect families, the reader will find a wealth of biological information that serves as an introduction to the natural history of insects and related classes. Sidebars on insect behavior and ecological factors enhance the descriptive accounts. Kenji Nishida's stunning photographs—many of which show insects in action in their natural settings—add appeal to every page. A final chapter provides a glimpse into the intriguing world of spiders, scorpions, crabs, and other arthropods.

This text brings together fundamental information on insect taxa, morphology, ecology, behavior, physiology, and genetics. Close relatives of insects, such as spiders and mites, are included.

The Frit Flies (Chloropidae, Diptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark is written by two leading experts on this large and difficult group of small to minute flies, Dr Emilia P. Nartshuk, Zoological Institute Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia, & Dr Hugo Andersson (deceased in 2008), Zoological Institute, Lund University, Sweden. The book covers the North European fauna of frit flies that totals 209 species in 48 genera including 11 species and 1 genus described as new to science. Several species are economically important as notorial pests of cereals and fodder grasses. This is the first comprehensive treatment ever of the entire North European fauna of frit flies. It primarily facilitates species identification, but further summarizes existing knowledge about nomenclature, biology, faunistics and literature. Keys are given to subfamilies, genera and species for the adults and for the known larvae to genus or even species level. The text is supplemented with numerous illustrations of characters of diagnostic importance. Species distributions in the Nordic countries are detailed in a catalogue.

Diptera, or true flies, are of considerable economic importance, as these flies have a valuable role as scavengers, parasitoids and predators of other insects, pollinators, food for predators, bio-indicators of water quality, and tools for scientific research. In nine chapters, this book examines various aspects of flies of the order Diptera as well as some types of mosquitos and midges. Topics covered include taxonomy, phylogeny, life cycle, feeding habits, population control strategies, and more. A unique chapter on forensic entomology is particularly interesting. Beautifully illustrated and expertly researched, this volume will appeal to entomologists, biologists, and naturalists.

The first volume to appear in a new series of handbooks deals with the ca. 115 families of Diptera (flies and Mosquitoes) known or suspected to occur in the islands of Malesia. Diptera constitute one of the larger orders of insects, and are generally considered to be a taxonomically difficult group, even at the family level. They include various economically important groups, some for example acting as vectors of diseases in man and cattle, while others are beneficial in pest control by virtue of their parasitic of predatory habits. In this work, each family is characterised, and a key using characters of the adult insects enables identification to family level. In addition, information is provided on biology, ecology, economic importance, distribution, and status of taxonomic knowledge, with key references to each family. It further includes an introduction to the higher classification, general biology and morphology, with an extensive glossary. The text is illustrated with more than 200 line drawings. An exhaustive and up-to-date list of references facilitates access to the pertinent literature. For this book, the author has worked together with world specialists of the respective families. The Families of Diptera of the Malay Archipelago will be an indispensable tool for all those working in the fields of ecology, systematic biology, and conservation, as well as applied biology.