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Chris,

Good points. I think that our newly published Manual of Central American Diptera (MCAD) will help out a lot with identification, including of South American specimens (many of the family keys are of the entire Neotropical Region).

I personally would be thrilled if some people would help out with the phorids, i.e., adopting a genus or two, for which I would provide literature, advice, and access to specimens. I wonder if other "experts" wouldn't also be so willing. It would mean breaking the "stamp collector" mentality (I want every specimen and species for my collection) and adopting a scientific teamwork model (I want to advance the knowledge of my group as much as possible). With sufficient collecting using mass sampling (Malaise traps, light traps, etc.) there should be plenty of specimens for everyone.

More collecting is definitely needed. I have been working on phorids for 26 years, and we still have little coverage for the NT region. Go to

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20m?w=720&r=0.2&e=0.00000&n=0.00000&z=0&kind=Melaloncha&la=0&lo=0?189,190

and see how spotty all the records are for Melaloncha, the genus I most recently revised. Many of those dots also represent single specimens, not good sampling at a site. But the limiting factor, in my opinion, is still expertise- people willing and able to look at material- and technical support - people to separate and prepare specimens. I have a freezer full of samples waiting for money to hire technical staff to sort them of things besides phorids.

You are interested in tachinids, I see. You'll love Monty's chapter in the MCAD volume 2- it is a tour-de-force! We need a strong tachinid team to take on the Neotropical fauna.

Brian