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.

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 volume deals with 116 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 of which acting as vectors of diseases in man and cattle, while others are beneficial in pest control by virtue of their parasitic or predatory habits. 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.

The Ecology of Papua provides a comprehensive review of current scientific knowledge on all aspects of the natural history of western (Indonesian) New Guinea. Designed for students of conservation, environmental workers, and academic researchers, it is a richly detailed text, dense with biogeographical data, historical reference, and fresh insight on this complicated and marvelous region. We hope it will serve to raise awareness of Papua on a global as well as local scale, and to catalyze effective conservation of its most precious natural assets. New Guinea is the largest and highest tropical island, and one of the last great wilderness areas remaining on Earth. Papua, the western half of New Guinea, is noteworthy for its equatorial glaciers, its vast forested floodplains, its imposing central mountain range, its Raja Ampat Archipelago, and its several hundred traditional forest-dwelling societies. One of the wildest places left in the world, Papua possesses extraordinary biological and cultural diversity. Today, Papua’s environment is under threat from growing outside pressures to exploit its expansive forests and to develop large plantations of oil palm and biofuels. It is important that Papua’s leadership balance economic development with good resource management, to ensure the long-term well-being of its culturally diverse populace.