Dear All,

The Fruit Fly News FFN#14 is out now. To view the issue, please click on the web link, or paste it into your browser: http://www.tephritid.org/drd/refs_files/182_FFN_n14.pdf.

Cheers

Abdel Bakri
www.tephritid.org

From the Syrphidae mailing list (again):

Dear all,

At the age of 83 Jan Lucas died last Tuesday. He was a good Syrphidae taxonomist and an extraordinary collector. Many newly described species from Europe are at least partly based on material collected by Jan. He was the last living member of a group of three that really inspired and excellerated Syrphidae research in the Netherlands in the 1960's and onwards, together with Volkert van der Goot and Bob van Aartsen.

Jeroen and I intend to write an In Memoriam for Volucella, including bibliography, described species and species named after Jan. We appreciate contributions if you have interesting stories to include or names to add. I think we have a rather complete list of his Syrphidae publications.

Wouter van Steenis

From the Syrphidae mailing list:
Dear all,

my colleague Pavel Láska asked me to inform you all that his friend Jindra Dušek died in Saturday 26. September 2009.
Pavel Láska worked with Jindra Dušek on Syrphidae for many years. They published in tandem (Dušek & Láska) about 27 papers on Syrphidae. I think that all know Dušek's figures of Syrphidae larvae.
Libor Mazánek

Some may already have heared, others will not. As of the first of September I will be changing jobs and become biology curator at the Natural History Museum of Maastricht. My main responsibilities will be the preparation of temporary and maintenance of biological parts of permanent exhibitions and curation of the biological collections. There are some additional tasks and when there is time to spare after that I will have time for research. If you need to send me any material, either visit the museum's website for the address or contact me directly.

At first time I will be staying near/in Maastricht for a few days in the week and the other days I will be at home. I cannot yet estimate the amount of time I will have available, so please be patient.

Manual of Central American Diptera, Volume 1. Edited by B.V. Brown, A. Borkent, J.M. Cumming, D.M. Wood, N.E. Woodley, and M. Zumbado.

The first of a two-volume set, this book is a collaboration of over 40 experts on Diptera, is the first-ever resource for the identification and understanding of Central American flies. Together, the two volumes treat all 106 families of flies found in the region, including discussions of biology, economic importance, classification, identification to the genus level as well as a synopsis of each genus. Volume 1 has Introductory chapters, Adult & Larval Keys, and treatments of the lower Diptera to lower Brachycera (Tipulidae-Dolichopodidae). Volume 2, submitted in June 2009, will cover the Cyclorrhapha.

Available at: http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/books/books/9780660198330.html