While volume 1 includes several introductory chapters and treats 42 families of flies in the Lower Diptera, volume 2 covers the remaining 64 families of flies that make up the Higher Diptera (or Cyclorrhapha). These include families of house flies, fruit flies, bot flies, flower flies and many other lesser-known groups. The text is accompanies by over 1660 line drawings and photographs.
Hoverflies of the subfamily Microdontinae have a reputation for causing confusion. The adult flies differ so much from other hoverflies that according to some they should be placed in a family of their own. Their diversity in shape and size is astonishing: from large, furry-haired species and convincing wasp-mimics to tiny, unsightly creatures, easily mistaken for something uninteresting. This paper introduces a new generic classification of the Microdontinae. A key to all 43 genera, 7 subgenera and some species groups is presented. All 552 available species names are classified into (sub)genera and species groups. The resulting classification comprises 454 valid species and 98 synonyms, of which 17 valid names and three synonyms are left unplaced. A total number of 26 new species are described, 267 new combinations of species and genera are proposed. The paper concludes with a discussion on diagnostic characters of Microdontinae.
A groundbreaking guide to flower flies in North America This is the first comprehensive field guide to the flower flies (also known as hover flies) of northeastern North America. Flower flies are, along with bees, our most important pollinators. Found in a varied range of habitats, from backyard gardens to aquatic ecosystems, these flies are often overlooked because many of their species mimic bees or wasps. Despite this, many species are distinctive and even subtly differentiated species can be accurately identified. This handy and informative guide teaches you how. With more than 3,000 color photographs and 400 maps, this guide covers all 416 species of flower flies that occur north of Tennessee and east of the Dakotas, including the high Arctic and Greenland. Each species account provides information on size, identification, abundance, and flight time, along with notes on behavior, classification, hybridization, habitats, larvae, and more. Summarizing the current scientific understanding of our flower fly fauna, this is an indispensable resource for anyone, amateur naturalist or scientist, interested in discovering the beauty of these insects. · 3000+ color photos (field and museum shots) · Multiple images per species, with arrows highlighting key field marks · Grayscale images showing the actual size of the insect · Range maps for each species · Information on size, identification features, abundance, flight times, and more
Insects are the most diverse group of organisms in the 3 billion-year history of life on Earth, and the most ecologically dominant animals on land. This book chronicles for the first time the complete evolutionary history of insects: their living diversity, relationships and 400 million years of fossils. Whereas other volumes have focused on either living species or fossils, this is the first comprehensive synthesis of all aspects of insect evolution. The book is illustrated with 955 photo- and electronmicrographs, drawings, diagrams, and field photos, many in full colour and virtually all of them original. The book will appeal to anyone engaged with insect diversity: professional entomologists and students, insect and fossil collectors, and naturalists.
The Tachinidae are the most important of the dipterous families with entomophagous habits. Though often little noticed, these flies have an important role in controlling phytophagous Insecta.
The first and second editions of Medical and Veterinary Entomology, edited by Gary R. Mullen and Lance A. Durden, published in 2002 and 2009, respectively, have been highly praised and become widely used as a textbook for classroom instruction. This fully revised third edition continues the focus on the diversity of arthropods affecting human and animal health, with separate chapters devoted to each of the taxonomic groups of insects and arachnids of medical or veterinary concern, including spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks. Each chapter includes sections on taxonomy, morphology, life history, and behavior and ecology, with separate sections on those species of public-health and veterinary importance. Each concludes with approaches to management of pest species and prevention of arthropod-borne diseases. The third edition provides a comprehensive source for teaching medical and/or veterinary entomology at the college and university level, targeted particularly at upper-level undergraduate and graduate/postgraduate programs. In addition to its value as a student textbook, the volume has appeal to a much broader audience, specialists and non-specialists alike. It provides a key reference for biologists in general, entomologists, zoologists, parasitologists, physicians, public-health personnel, veterinarians, wildlife biologists, vector biologists, military entomologists, the general public and others seeking a readable, authoritative account on this important topic. - Completely revised and updated edition - Includes a distinguished group of 40 nationally and internationally recognized contributors - Sixteen new authors, in addition to 25 continuing contributors from the first and second editions - A new chapter on Arthropod Toxins and Venoms - Illustrated with 560, mostly color, figures and updated maps depicting the distribution of important arthropod taxa and arthropod-borne diseases - A significantly expanded and well-illustrated chapter on Molecular Tools Used in Medical and Veterinary Entomology - Coverage of emerging and newly recognized arthropod concerns, including mosquito-borne Zika and - Chikungunya viruses; tick-borne Bourbon and Heartland viruses; tick-borne rickettsioses and anaplasmosis; and red meat allergy associated with tick bites - A 1700-word Glossary - An Appendix of Arthropod-Related Viruses of Medical and Veterinary Importance
