A new species of Procanace Hendel from the Philippines (Diptera: Canacidae: Canacinae).

A new species of surf flies (Canacidae: Canacinae) is described and illustrated based on four specimens (1 , 3 ) collected by Dr. Amnon Freidberg in the Philippines. Some peculiarities of the postabdominal structures, especially those of the male terminalia, suggest a fairly close affinity with two other congeneric species, namely Procanace townesi Wirth, 1951, and P. cogani Mathis, 1988, having a disjointed distribution, Marshall Islands and Seychelles, respectively. It is further suggested that these affinities should arguably be regarded as synapomorphic character states in the groundplan of the genus.

Catalogue of the Diptera (Insecta) of Morocco- an annotated checklist, with distributions and a bibliography.

The faunistic knowledge of the Diptera of Morocco recorded from 1787 to 2021 is summarized and updated in this first catalogue of Moroccan Diptera species. A total of 3057 species, classified into 948 genera and 93 families (21 Nematocera and 72 Brachycera), are listed. Taxa (superfamily, family, genus and species) have been updated according to current interpretations, based on reviews in the literature, the expertise of authors and contributors, and recently conducted fieldwork. Data to compile this catalogue were primarily gathered from the literature. In total, 1225 references were consulted and some information was also obtained from online databases. Each family was reviewed and the checklist updated by the respective taxon expert(s), including the number of species that can be expected for that family in Morocco. For each valid species, synonyms known to have been used for published records from Morocco are listed under the currently accepted name. Where available, distribution within Morocco is also included. One new combination is proposed: Assuaniamelanoleuca (Séguy, 1941), comb. nov. (Chloropidae).

The surf flies of the Mascarene Islands (Diptera: Canacidae: Canacinae), with the description of a new species.

A survey of the surf flies (Canacinae) of the main Mascarene Islands of La Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues was undertaken between 2015 and 2018. It encompassed intertidal material from 38 sampling stations on the islands and included records supplied by Martin J. Ebejer from La Réunion. No specimens of surf flies were collected on Rodrigues Is., which lacks suitable rocky shore habitats. A new species of Isocanace Mathis, 1982, that is deemed closely related to I. briani Mathis, 1982 described from Aldabra Is. and Madagascar, is described and figured from Mauritius (I. mauritiana Munari sp. nov.). Nocticanace mahensis (Lamb, 1912) is also reported from La Réunion and Mauritius and Procanace pninae Mathis Freidberg, 1991 from Mauritius (all representing first records for the islands concerned). The Procanace grisescens species-group is also reported from Mauritius for the first time, representing a first record of this species-group from the Mascarenes. An identification key to Afrotropical species of Isocanace is provided and the distributions of all species are mapped.

The beach flies of the Mascarene Islands (Diptera: Canacidae: Tethininae).

An intertidal survey of 34 sampling stations on the main Mascarene Islands of La Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues, was conducted between 2015 and 2018. Results of the survey revealed five species of Tethininae, viz. Afrotethina aurisetulosa (Lamb), Dasyrhicnoessa ferruginea (Lamb), D. insularis (Aldrich), D. vockerothi Hardy Delfinado and Pseudorhicnoessa rattii Munari, all of which are new to one or more of the Mascarenes (A. aurisetulosa, D. ferruginea and D. insularis new to all three islands; D. vockerothi new to Mauritius and Rodrigues; and P. rattii new to Rodrigues). Sampled species exhibit a very close affinity with those that occur on Seychelles and the composition of the two faunas is notably superimposable. The distributions of the five species on the three main islands is mapped and an identification key to all genera and species of both archipelagos is provided, with the most significant diagnostic features illustrated. The survey also revealed that the rather common Afrotropical genus Horaismoptera Hendel, which is represented in East Africa, Madagascar, and the southern Arabian Peninsula by H. vulpina Hendel, is most likely absent from both archipelagos.

The Canacidae of the Arabian Peninsula (Diptera: Brachycera: Carnoidea).

A review of the canacid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula is provided. In addition to the usual taxonomic account, a key to all genera and species is also provided. Many figures illustrate some of the main characters that will hopefully be useful for identifying some taxonomically difficult species.

Taxonomic and distributional notes on two species groups of the genus Dasyrhicnoessa Hendel (Diptera: Canacidae: Tethininae).

Some taxonomic and distributional aspects of two species groups of the genus Dasyrhicnoessa Hendel, 1934, viz. D. tripunctata group and D. ciliata group, are discussed. Figures of the male terminalia and a key to species are also provided.

Fauna europaea: Diptera - brachycera.

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including important synonyms) of all extant multicellular European terrestrial and freshwater animals and their geographical distribution at the level of countries and major islands (east of the Urals and excluding the Caucasus region). The Fauna Europaea project comprises about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. Fauna Europaea represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing taxonomic specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many user communities in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education. The Diptera-Brachycera is one of the 58 Fauna Europaea major taxonomic groups, and data have been compiled by a network of 55 specialists. Within the two-winged insects (Diptera), the Brachycera constitute a monophyletic group, which is generally given rank of suborder. The Brachycera may be classified into the probably paraphyletic 'lower brachyceran grade' and the monophyletic Eremoneura. The latter contains the Empidoidea, the Apystomyioidea with a single Nearctic species, and the Cyclorrhapha, which in turn is divided into the paraphyletic 'aschizan grade' and the monophyletic Schizophora. The latter is traditionally divided into the paraphyletic 'acalyptrate grade' and the monophyletic Calyptratae. Our knowledge of the European fauna of Diptera-Brachycera varies tremendously among families, from the reasonably well known hoverflies (Syrphidae) to the extremely poorly known scuttle flies (Phoridae). There has been a steady growth in our knowledge of European Diptera for the last two centuries, with no apparent slow down, but there is a shift towards a larger fraction of the new species being found among the families of the nematoceran grade (lower Diptera), which due to a larger number of small-sized species may be considered as taxonomically more challenging. Most of Europe is highly industrialised and has a high human population density, and the more fertile habitats are extensively cultivated. This has undoubtedly increased the extinction risk for numerous species of brachyceran flies, yet with the recent re-discovery of Thyreophoracynophila (Panzer), there are no known cases of extinction at a European level. However, few national Red Lists have extensive information on Diptera. For the Diptera-Brachycera, data from 96 families containing 11,751 species are included in this paper.

A new species of Canace Haliday from Portugal, with a revised key to species (Diptera: Canacidae: Canacinae).

A new species of Canace Haliday, in Curtis, 1837 from Portugal is described. This species, related to C. actites Mathis, 1982, is known so far from a single maritime locality near Lisbon. A key to species of the genus is also provided.

New Indo-Pacific species of Dasyrhicnoessa Hendel, 1934 and Pseudorhicnoessa Malloch, 1914 (Diptera: Canacidae: Tethininae).

Three new species of Dasyrhicnoessa Hendel, 1934 and one of Pseudorhicnoessa Malloch, 1914 from the Indo-Pacific area are described and the male terminalia illustrated. Among these new species, Dasyrhicnoessa paradoxa sp. nov. and Pseudorhicnoessa longicerca sp. nov. are especially noteworthy for the morphological peculiarities of the male terminalia.

An ectopic macrochaeta in the middle of a compound eye of a field-collected anthomyiid fly.

Recording and describing animal 'monsters' collected in the field can still contribute to progress in developmental biology despite the uncontrolled conditions the specimen experienced throughout development. Comparison with model organisms and a sound phylogenetic analysis may offer a tentative explanation for the underlying developmental mechanism and suggest new targets for experimental studies. We describe a female specimen of the anthomyiid fly Hydrophoria sp. with an ectopic macrochaeta in the left eye and suggest tentative interpretations, including one in terms of a local expression, or derepression, of a proneural gene. The anthomyiid lineage has been estimated to have split ca. 65 million years ago from the dipteran clade containing Drosophila and ca. 140 million years ago from the clade containing Megaselia.