The majority of blackflies (family Simuliidae) are blood- suckers of man and domestic animals. Throughout the vast territory of the Soviet Union, in the steppes, forest steppes, and especially the taiga and tundra, blackflies occupy a prominent place among the blood-sucking Diptera. It is now clear, that not only in the tropics but throughout the Soviet Union, blackflies are transmitters of several diseases of domestic animals, mainly onchocerciasis of cattle and reindeer and many dangerous diseases of domestic fowl. Hence blackflies are of medico-veterinary and sanitary-epidemiological importance. Unlike other blood-sucking insects such as the malarial mosquito, blackflies have hitherto been relatively poorly studies. The purposes of the present volume is to provide a brief description of species and new identification keys. It primarily incorporates numerous additions to the first edition of "Fauna of the USSR," This second edition also includes 18 species from countries adjoining the Palearctic region, which have not been recorded to-date in the Soviet Union, and 30 species described by Enderlein from Europe (whose description has been improved upon) which may be discovered later in the Soviet Union. The fauna of the USSR currently includes about 300 species of blackflies.

The majority of blackflies (family Simuliidae) are blood- suckers of man and domestic animals. Throughout the vast territory of the Soviet Union, in the steppes, forest steppes, and especially the taiga and tundra, blackflies occupy a prominent place among the blood-sucking Diptera. It is now clear, that not only in the tropics but throughout the Soviet Union, blackflies are transmitters of several diseases of domestic animals, mainly onchocerciasis of cattle and reindeer and many dangerous diseases of domestic fowl. Hence blackflies are of medico-veterinary and sanitary-epidemiological importance. Unlike other blood-sucking insects such as the malarial mosquito, blackflies have hitherto been relatively poorly studies. The purposes of the present volume is to provide a brief description of species and new identification keys. It primarily incorporates numerous additions to the first edition of Fauna of the USSR. This second edition also includes 18 species from countries adjoining the Palearctic region, which have not been recorded to-date in the Soviet Union, and 30 species described by Enderlein from Europe (whose description has been improved upon) which may be discovered later in the Soviet Union. The fauna of the USSR currently includes about 300 species of blackflies.

Surprising though it seems, the world faces almost as great a threat today from arthropod-borne diseases as it did in the heady days of the 1950s when global eradication of such diseases by eliminating their vectors with synthetic insecticides, particularly DDT, seemed a real possibility. Malaria, for example, still causes tremendous morbidity and mortality throughout the world, especially in Africa. Knowledge of the biology of insect and arachnid disease vectors is arguably more important now than it has ever been. Biological research directed at the development of better methods of control becomes even more important in the light of the partial failure of many control schemes that are based on insecticide- although not all is gloom, since basic biological studies have contributed enormously to the outstanding success of international control programmes such as the vast Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa. It is a sine qua non for proper understanding of the epidemiology and successful vector control of any human disease transmitted by an arthropod that all concerned with the problem - medical entomologist, parasitologist, field technician - have a good basic understanding of the arthropod's biology. Knowledge will be needed not only of its direct relationship to any parasite or pathogen that it transmits but also of its structure, its life history and its behaviour - in short, its natural history. Above all, it will be necessary to be sure that it is correctly identified.