Blowflies are potential vector for avian influenza virus at enzootic area in Japan.

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) poses a significant threat to both domestic and wild birds globally. The avian influenza virus, known for environmental contamination and subsequent oral infection in birds, necessitates careful consideration of alternative introduction routes during HPAI outbreaks. This study focuses on blowflies (genus Calliphora), in particular Calliphora nigribarbis, attracted to decaying animals and feces, which migrate to lowland areas of Japan from northern or mountainous regions in early winter, coinciding with HPAI season. Our investigation aims to delineate the role of blowflies as HPAI vectors by conducting a virus prevalence survey in a wild bird HPAI-enzootic area. In December 2022, 648 Calliphora nigribarbis were collected. Influenza virus RT-PCR testing identified 14 virus-positive samples (2.2% prevalence), with the highest occurrence observed near the crane colony (14.9%). Subtyping revealed the presence of H5N1 and HxN1 in some samples. Subsequent collections in December 2023 identified one HPAI virus-positive specimen from 608 collected flies in total, underscoring the potential involvement of blowflies in HPAI transmission. Our observations suggest C. nigribarbis may acquire the HPAI virus from deceased wild birds directly or from fecal materials from infected birds, highlighting the need to add blowflies as a target of HPAI vector control.

The bug-killer fly Gymnosoma rotundatum (L.) (Diptera: Tachinidae) forms the respiratory funnel independently of the host's immune response.

In internal parasitism, the respiration strategy within the host's body is as essential as evading attack from the host's immune system. Tachinid flies are parasitoids of terrestrial arthropods, mostly insects, during their larval stage. To obtain oxygen while living in the host body, they build a cylindrical structure known as the respiratory funnel at the aperture opened by the tachinid larva on the host integument or trachea. These funnels can be divided morphologically into sheath and cone types. Previous research on sheath-type funnels revealed that they are derived from the encapsulating substance produced by the host's immune system. In contrast, the cone-type funnels cover part of the body of the larval tachinid and may be constructed independently from the host immune system. To determine the mechanisms of cone-type funnel formation, histological observations were carried out on Gymnosoma rotundatum (L.) (Diptera: Tachinidae), which possesses this type of funnel. The respiratory funnel of G. rotundatum was found to be derived from the tube-shaped faeces wrapped with the peritrophic membrane and excreted by the fly larva, not from host tissue or haemocytes. Additionally, secretory glands putatively involved in the funnel formation were discovered around the larval anal plate of G. rotundatum. A comparison of funnel types within Tachinidae revealed that Phasiinae and Dexiinae have cone-type funnels, which may be created by the same mechanism as in G. rotundatum. These new findings suggest that funnel formation that does not use the host immune system is relevant to tachinid phylogeny.

A new species of Austrophasiopsis Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Nepal, with systematic notes on the genus.

A new species of Austrophasiopsis Townsend from Nepal, Austrophasiopsis caliginosa sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Two known species, A. formosensis Townsend and A. luteipennis Mesnil, are redescribed and illustrated and a key to the three species is provided. Based on a morphological study, Austrophasiopsis is moved from its current position in the tribe Minthoini to the Leskiini (Tachininae) where it is considered close to Solieria Robineau-Desvoidy.

The genus Blepharella Macquart (Diptera: Tachinidae) in Japan, with notes on the Oriental species B. lateralis Macquart.

The genus Blepharella Macquart belongs to the tribe Goniini of the Tachinidae (Diptera). Three new species of this genus are described from Japan (B. bomolocha sp. nov., B. grisescens sp. nov., and B. yaeyamana sp. nov.) and B. nigra Mesnil is redescribed. Blepharella tenuparafacialis Chao Shi is synonymized with the type species B. lateralis Macquart, syn. nov. and the male and female terminalia of B. lateralis are described and illustrated. The microtype eggs of B. bomolocha, B. nigra and B. lateralis are illustrated for the first time.

A new species of Medinodexia Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Japan, with a discussion on phylogenetic implications of the female postabdomen in Blondeliini.

Medinodexia japonica sp. nov. is described from Japan and an adult leaf beetle, Aulacophora nigripennis Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is recorded as its host. A piercing-type ovipositor is one of the characteristics of the genus Medinodexia Townsend, but it is also found in other blondeliine genera. To evaluate the structural differences of the piercing-type ovipositor, the female postabdominal characters were examined within Blondeliini and their phylogenetic implications are briefly discussed. Females of Medinodexia are similar to those of Medina Robineau-Desvoidy for the presence of invaginations on tergite 6 and sternite 6 of the abdomen. Medinodexia exigua Shima and M. orientalis Shima are not treated here, because they are considered to belong to an undescribed genus due to differences in the male and female postabdominal characters distinguishing them from the remaining species of Medinodexia.

Taxonomic review of the genus Compsiluroides Mesnil (Diptera: Tachinidae), with the description of a new species.

Compsiluroides communis Mesnil, C. flavipalpis Mesnil and C. meifengensis sp. nov. are redescribed and described with illustrations. Compsiluroides proboscis Chao Sun is treated as a junior synonym of C. communis. Variations of structures of the male postabdomen of C. communis are illustrated. The genus is newly recorded from Nepal and Taiwan. A key to the three known species of Compsiluroides is provided and their diagnostic characters are illustrated.

Taxonomic review of the genus Pygophora Schiner of Japan (Diptera: Muscidae).

Japanese species of the genus Pygophora Schiner, 1868 are reviewed, with redescription of the following species: P. boninensis Snyder, 1965; P. confusa, 1915; P. immaculipennis Frey, 1917; P. lepidofera (Stein, 1915); P. longicornis (Stein, 1918); P. macularis (Wiedemann, 1830); P. maculipennis Stein, 1909; P. respondens (Walker, 1859); P. unicolor (Stein, 1920). New occurrence records are presented to P. macularis (Wiedemann, 1830), P. respondens (Walker, 1859), and P. unicolor (Stein, 1920). Pygophora trimaculata Karl, 1935 is excluded from Japanese species, as it had been based on a misidentification. The male and female terminalia are illustrated, and an identification key to the Japanese species is provided.

Revision of the subgenus Dicranomyia (Erostrata) Savchenko, 1976 (Diptera, Limoniidae) of Japan.

The six Japanese species of the subgenus Dicranomyia (Erostrata) Savchenko, 1976 are revised. D. (E.) globithorax Osten Sacken, 1869 and D. (E.) tabashii (Alexander, 1934) are newly recorded from Japan. We elevate the two subspecies of D. globithorax to species rank based on distinct morphological differences. Three new species, D. (E.) reniformis sp. nov., D. (E.) submelas sp. nov., and D. (E.) yazuensis sp. nov. are described. The male genitalia of all Japanese species and female ovipositors of four of the six species are illustrated, and the habitus of adults are photographed. A key to the Japanese species of the subgenus is provided.

Description of the female of Ceromya glaucescens Tachi & Shima (Diptera: Tachinidae) and discovery of unusual sexual dimorphism in this species.

Sexual dimorphism is a phenomenon in which the male and female of a species differ in features of the external morphology such as size, shape, colour, or the development of appendages. In the Diptera, stalked compound eyes, leg modifications and wing patterns are well-known examples of sexual dimorphism (McAlpine 1979; Zeil 1983; Adler & Adler 1991; Meyerrochow & Reid 1994; Wilkinson & Dodson 1996; Sivinski 1997; Baker & Wilkinson 2001; Eberhard 2002; Puniamoorthy et al. 2008). Males and females of sexually dimorphic species are often described as separate species due to the dissimilarity in external characters, thus leading to problems in identification and proper association of the sexes. In contrast to characters that are usually involved in sexual dimorphism, leg chaetotaxy is considered one of the invariable character systems, irrespective of sex, in the tribe Siphonini of the Tachinidae, and is thus widely used in keys to genera and species (O'Hara 1989; Andersen 1996). Species' identification by DNA barcoding has been used in various groups of organisms (Hebert et al. 2003; Ratnasingham & Hebert 2013). In insects, males, usually more easily identified by morphological characters (e.g., postabdominal features) than females, are often used for barcoding. The identification of females will improve as sequence data accumulate, such as data from pairs collected in copula. In this paper, I describe sexual dimorphism in the Japanese endemic species of tachinid fly Ceromya glaucescens Tachi & Shima, 2000 of the tribe Siphonini, and use molecular and morphological data for the identification of this species. Sequence data of C. silacea (Meigen, 1824) are also included for comparison.

Revision of the Rhinophoridae (Diptera: Calyptratae) of Japan.

The Japanese species of the family Rhinophoridae are revised. Melanophora roralis (Linnaeus) is newly recorded from Japan and is hypothesized as having been introduced to the country; one species, Acompomintho itoshimensis sp. nov., is described as new. Images of the habitus, wing and male terminalia are provided for all four Japanese species, together with an identification key and a map showing their distribution.

Taxonomic study of the genus Cephalispa Malloch of Japan (Diptera: Muscidae).

Japanese species of the genus Cephalispa Malloch, 1935 are revised. Cephalispa kudoi sp. nov., C. okinawaensis sp. nov. and C. triquetra sp. nov. are described. Lispocephala xanthogaster (Shinonaga, 2003) is transferred to the genus. A key to Japanese species is provided.

A new species of the genus Pygophora Schiner from Laos (Diptera: Muscidae).

Two species of the genus Pygophora Schiner are recognized from Laos. This is the first time the genus is recorded to the country. A new species, Pygophora laoensis sp. nov., is described and P. immaculipennis Frey is newly recorded. Male and female terminalia of both species are illustrated.

Systematic study of the genera Phryno Robineau-Desvoidy and Botria Rondani in the Palearctic Region, with discussions of their phylogenetic positions (Diptera, Tachinidae).

Six species of Phryno Robineau-Desvoidy and three species of Botria Rondani are revised, including four new species: P. brevicornis sp. nov., P. koreana sp. nov., P. nepalensis sp. nov. and P. tenuiforceps sp. nov. A key to the species of these genera is provided. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using morphological characters to investigate the placement of genera in the Zenillia group (sensu Tschorsnig 1985). The inferred trees indicate that Phryno is closely related to Botria, but monophyly of Phryno is unclear. Based on the results of the analysis, the Zenillia group is redefined to include Allo-phorocera Hendel, Botria, Ceromasia Rondani, Calozenillia Townsend (new placement), Cyzenis Robineau-Desvoidy, Erycilla Mesnil, Phryno, Rhacodinella Mesnil, Sericozenillia Mesnil (new placement) and Zenillia Robineau-Desvoidy.

A new species of the genus Trichoformosomyia Townsend from Malaysia (Diptera: Tachinidae).

A new species of Trichoformosomyia, T. abbreviata sp. nov., is described from Sabah, Malaysia. Trichoformosomyia sauteri Baranov is redescribed and it is newly recorded from China, Vietnam and Japan. A key to the three known species of Trichoformosomyia is given and monophyly of the genus is briefly discussed based on adult morphology.

Molecular phylogeny and host use evolution of the genus Exorista Meigen (Diptera: Tachinidae).

Members of the genus Exorista are parasitoids of a diverse array of insect hosts in the orders, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Mantodea and Orthoptera. Phylogenetic relationships among subgenera and species of Exorista were inferred using four nuclear (Tpi, white, 18S and 28S) and four mitochondrial DNA (16S, 12S, ND5 and CO1) genes in maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analyses. Separate trees based on different sets of genes (mt DNA, nuclear, ribosomal, etc.) were compared and found to be nearly concordant. According to the molecular tree generated from the concatenated sequence data, the genus Exorista is paraphyletic. The phylogenetic analyses indicate the existence of two major clades of Exorista, including two genera Parasetigena and Phorocera. Morphological traits supporting clades indicated by molecular analyses within this genus are evaluated. Evolutionary patterns of the host use and host shifts are examined by optimizing host information using maximum likelihood on the molecular phylogeny. The ancestral host group of the tribe Exoristini (excluding Ctenophorinia and Phorinia) appears to be the order Lepidoptera, although hosts of some species are unknown. A major host shift to the Hymenoptera occurred in the clade of subgenus Adenia, and the ancestral state of subgenus Spixomyia is equivocal because there is little information available on the hosts in members of a subclade of this group (subclade A: Exorista hyalipennis group).