This is an interactive site for dipterists from all continents dealing with all aspects of dipterology (the study of Diptera: flies and midges) and dipterists. Here you can submit all your links to dipterological websites and events, post your dipterological queries in the forum, submit articles and news on Diptera, and contribute pictures for the Diptera Gallery. Submissions are open for members and members can contribute to the forums.
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Enjoy the site and keep helping to build it up to a significant entry point for dipterological research.
Paul
It is a sad day for all simuliidologists. I have to inform you that our well loved friend Roger Crosskey, passed away at about midday BST today 4 September. He had been in hospital for the last few months.
Roger was an exceptional taxonomist and an inspiration to us all, and a good friend to many. His knowledge of the subject was unsurpassed.
Sadly,
John Davies
Dear all,
Sadly, former member of NHM staff and entomologist Roger W. Crosskey passed away yesterday after a brief period in hospital.
He will be remembered for his outstanding contributions to dipterology, most notably on the biosystematics of Simuliidae and Tachinidae but also of other calyptrate families such as the Muscidae, Rhinophoridae and Calliphoridae. His works include several large monographs published in the Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) such as the taxonomic conspectuses of Oriental and Australasian tachinids. He was editor-in-chief of the Afrotropical Diptera Catalogue and contributed chapters to the Afrotropical, Australasian and Oriental regional catalogues, which are still widely in use by the scientific community today, and is author of the cornerstone book on simuliids, “The Natural History of Blackflies”. He was a respected biogeographer and a member of the management committee for the International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature.
Roger began his career as a medical entomologist for the Nigerian Ministry of Health (1951-1958), then worked for the Commonwealth Institute of Entomology (1959-1972) before joining the Natural History Museum. He started as head of the Hymenoptera section, then moved to Diptera as head of section before being promoted to Senior Principal Scientific Officer and spending his last years purely on research. He retired in 1990 but remained as a Scientific Associate until 2016.
He will be warmly remembered by former colleagues and friends and by all of those who are familiar with his scientific legacy.
Daniel
Dr Daniel Whitmore
Senior Curator
(Diptera & Siphonaptera)
Department of Life Sciences
Natural History Museum
Note: Roger was born in 1930 (Paul)
Simuliid Bulletin No. 47 is now available
Dear colleagues,
The Simuliid Bulletin No 47, January 2017, has now been posted on the SIMULIID-BULLETIN Blog site where it can be read or downloaded. It contains a report on the VII International Simuliid Symposium at Zaragoza, September 2016, and part 2 of Prof. Rivoschecci's paper. Because there are so many graphics, the file is large, (19Mb) however I have included a low resolution version which I recommend you try first.
Please note the next Symposium has now been fixed for 27-29 June 2018 in Birmingham, England.
John Davies
Simuliid Bulletin No. 46 is out now
Dear Colleagues,
The Simuliid Bulletin No. 46 is now available for viewing or downloading here:
It is a great pleasure to invite you to attend the 9th International Symposium on Syrphidae (ISS9). Taking place for the first time in the Neotropical Region, the ISS9 will be held in Curitiba (Brazil) from 28th August to 1st September 2017.
We are sure it will be an excellent opportunity to establish new research collaborations and share experiences on Syrphidae.
To receive further information about the ISS9, please send a message to syrphidae9@gmail.com
We look forward to meeting you all in Curitiba.
Best regards,
Mirian Morales & Luciane Marinoni
The Organizing committee
VII International Simuliidae Symposium - Zaragoza
Dear colleagues,
The web page of the International Simuliidae Symposium in Zaragoza is now available:
John Brattonon 05 February 2017 17:30:37
Occasionally I find growths on water beetles that appear to be fungi, such as
http://www.ispotnature.org/node/706171
http://www.ispotnature.org/node/855715
http://www.ispotnature.org/node/266016
Are you able to say whether these are Laboulbeniales, please?
von Tschirnhauson 11 May 2016 17:01:36
Thaumatomyia glabra (Meigen, 1830), Chloropidae. The only European Thaumatomyia species with largely reduced hairs on the body [the only reason for Loew (1866) to create an own genus for it, the synonym Chloropisca]. Well known as a chloropid with zoophagous larvae, predators of root lice (Pemphigidae), e.g. on the roots of carrots. Different from its congeneric species notata (Meigen) it rarely aggregates in swarms in autumn. But single specimens regularly enter the notata swarms. In North America several publications report swarms. The species is well known as a flower visitor as documented on this photo. The first detailed article on the biology: Parker, J.R. 1918: The life history and habits of Chloropisca glabra Meig., a predaceous oscinid (chloropid).- Journal of economic Entomology 11: 368-380. (See id=71905&pid=305995#post_305995) View Photo Comment
von Tschirnhauson 11 April 2016 20:05:01
Pachylophus, Loew, 1858, Chloropidae, is a very characteristic component of the Afrotropical chloropid fauna with species also in the Middle East. Many species are still undescribed and many are hosts of parasitic ascomycete fungi, the Laboulbeniales. All species are viviparous, in most species two larvae develop synchronously. The hind femora are always enlarged. View Photo Comment
jonrichfieldon 08 February 2015 14:08:39
What an intriguing Acrocerid! Much larger head, longer, bee-like antennae, and smaller eyes than our local species of Acroceridae here in the Cape in South Africa. View Photo Comment
Hi all. I would like to buy some microvials for Diptera terminalia. Could you recommend me a website to buy them online? (as BioQuip). Thanks in advance.
LG,
Horst