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A new soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) in Mexican amber is described as Cyphomyia mexicana sp. nov. Diagnostic features of the new fossil include a tapering antennal flagellum, with the last three flagellomeres nearly cylindrical in shape, the terminal flagellomere appearing as an arista-like style, the presence of three transverse light bands fused on the posterior portion of the scutum, and the scutellum entirely covered by short and appressed setae. While the new fossil species has the typical wing venation and body shape found in extant Neotropical species of Cyphomyia, the body, wing colour and setal pattern on the thorax and abdomen resembles that of a group of species containing C. wiedemanni Gerstaecker, 1857. The fossil cannot be assigned to any extant or extinct species of Cyphomyia, due to its unique antennae. This is the first fossil species of Cyphomyia in amber and the fourth fossil species of Stratiomyidae from Mexican amber. Cyphomyia rohweri, the only other fossil species assigned to the genus, is more similar to undescribed stratiomyids from Florissan beds, which are not Cyphomyia, so, in this paper, we place C. rohweri as incertae sedis in the Clitellariinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first study on the use of sound recordings to assess the activity of carrion flies as an alternative to labour intensive physical capture and identification with limited time resolution. Daily recordings were made of the fly activity on human cadavers in a simulated disaster scenario at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). The recordings were manually analysed for flight sounds and compared to the local environmental data. The results showed that the number of flight sounds was significantly affected by the temperature, daylight, and moderate to high rainfall but not by humidity. Reference recordings were also made of Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), House flies (Diptera: Muscidae) and the Black Soldier flies (Stratiomyidae: Hermetia illucens) in a commercial fly farm and used to build a statistical classification model to test the feasibility of audio recognition for successional studies. Successional arrival and departure patterns were not observed for the recorded flies, although this could be the result of ineffective audio classification algorithm. Further in-depth studies are currently being done on different species and variations within the same species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) cultivars are hermaphrodite and have fertile flowers, with the anthers releasing viable pollen. Cultivars are self-compatible and do not require cross-pollination. Studies supporting managed or wild insects are based on a few reports and there are problems with the methods used to assess pollination. This review examined the role of pollination in strawberry. The mean (± s.d. or standard deviation) pollinator dependence (PD) for yield (self-pollination versus open- or insect-assisted pollination) was 0.36 ± 0.26 (P < 0.001, N = 52 studies). The yields of plants exposed to supplementary insects were higher than those exposed to pollinators under natural open conditions, with a calculated pollen limitation (PL) of 0.20 ± 0.17 (P < 0.001, N = 20 studies). Fields close to semi-natural habitats, wildflowers, grass or hedges can have more pollinators and a greater diversity of pollinators than fields further away. However, a greater abundance of pollinators does not always lead to higher fruit set. Yield is dependent on insect pollinators (moderate pollinator dependence) and is limited by the availability of pollen under natural open conditions (moderate pollen limitation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coast provides an important habitat for insects throughout the world. Some insect taxa are entirely dependent on this continuous but narrow strip of habitat between the land and sea, despite the challenging environmental conditions. In Aotearoa|New Zealand (hereafter Aotearoa), the coastal environment is extensive and varies enormously. Aotearoa is also home to a diverse and predominantly endemic Diptera fauna of roughly 5500 species, and a small but significant proportion of these are found along the coast. Here we provide the first extensive survey of Aotearoa's coastal flies, and describe how the diversity, richness, and abundance of specialised wrack-inhabiting communities vary. Overall, we recorded 257 different species collected from 109 sites from around Aotearoa's three main islands, with highest abundance, species richness and diversity all found at South Island sites. Our surveys are estimated to have captured over 80% of the species occupying the seashore, and 100% of the wrack specialist community, for which we identified a country-wide baseline community. This study has provided new and interesting insights into the distribution and diversity of flies in Aotearoa. It also highlights the importance of carrying out broad community surveys to capture and improve our understanding of our local fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity and altitudinal distribution patterns of syrphid flies in the Neora Valley National Park, in the Eastern Himalaya was studied, including the ramifications of pollination by drone fly (Eristalis tenax) showing Batesian mimicry of honeybees. Considering the altitudinal variation and visitation rate, the study found a total of 30 Syrphidae species, among which Eristalis himalayensis, E. tenax, Chrysogaster sp., Episyrphus balteatus, Paragus haemorrhous and Syrphus dalhousiae had the highest encounter rate. The maximum number of species was observed at ≥ 2500 m asl. The diversity of Syrphidae in the Neora Valley reflects the supremacy of these flies over other pollinator insects in the study area. The mean visit per hour of drone fly (E. tenax) was 21 ± 2.73SE (SE – standard error) individual at the lower altitudes but the rate was higher (37.1 ± 4.09SE) in the absence of honeybees at the higher altitudes. More information about the primary determinants of the dynamic nature of pollination is required in this area in order to understand plant–pollinator responses to global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-drug resistant pathogens are a global problem. Flies are a potential vector of multi-drug resistant pathogens, which can be particularly dangerous in the hospital environment. This study aimed to evaluate flies as vectors of alert pathogens. The research material consisted of 100 flies (Musca domestica (46.0%), Lucilia sericata (28.0%), and Calliphora vicina (26.0%)) collected at the University Hospital No. 1 dr. A. Jurasz in Bydgoszcz (Poland) in 2018–2019 (summer months). The presence of bacteria of the genera: Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Escherichia, Leclercia, Citrobacter, Hafnia, Providencia, Proteus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Raoultella, Morganella, Moellerella, Bordetella, Pantoea, Serratia, Plesiomonas, Wohlfahrimonas, and Lelliottia was confirmed. The most frequently isolated species included: Enterococcus faecalis (n = 64), Escherichia coli (n = 43) and Moellerella wisconsensis (n = 24). The infection rate and antibiotic resistance of bacteria were assessed. One strain of Proteus mirabilis (isolated from Calliphora vicina) produced ESBLs (extended-spectrum beta-lactamases). The infection rate was 0.38%, 0.26%, and 0.20% for Musca domestica, Lucilia sericata, and Calliphora vicina, respectively. The flies from a hospital area were not a vector of alert pathogens. Monitoring flies as potential vectors of pathogens is an important aspect of public health, especially for hospitalized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we provide detailed ethological notes on the predation behaviour of Chvalaea yolkamini Jaume-Schinkel, Soares & Barros, 2020, a neotropical sit-and-wait dance fly from Mexico, with description and video evidence of hunting and feeding behaviours. Furthermore, we analysed in situ predation success in relation to biotic and abiotic factors (prey size, prey taxonomic group, temperature, humidity and perch height). We observed 94 individuals for a total of ~15.68 hours. Chvalaea yolkamini uses its hind legs armed with spikes to strike and handle prey, while its short proboscis pierces and sucks on intersegmental areas as they are less sclerotised. Feeding time ranged from 1.27 to 15.24 minutes. In addition, C. yolkamini was more successful when attacking large-sized prey, but apparently the limit for prey size is the predator's own size. The individuals were more successful when ambushing large Brachycera than relatively small nematocerous Diptera and Hemiptera. No influence of temperature and humidity was detected, but higher perches favoured predation success. Our study supplies the first detailed information on the perching and hunting behaviour of a sit-and-wait hybotid fly. We advance hypotheses that may be investigated by including covariables, such as wind and prey colouration, with a view to further our comprehension of the sit-and-wait behaviour in predatory animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the release strategies of sterile mosquitoes for the wild population control, we propose mathematical models for the interaction between two-mosquito populations incorporating impulsive releases of sterile ones. The long-term control model is first studied, and the existence and stability of the wild mosquito-extinction periodic solution are exploited. Thresholds of the release amount and release period which can guarantee the elimination of the wild mosquitos are obtained. Then for the limited-time control model, three different optimal strategies in impulsive control are investigated. By applying a time rescaling technique and an optimization algorithm based on gradient, the optimal impulsive release timings and amounts of sterile mosquitoes are obtained. Our results show that the optimal selection of release timing is more important than the optimal selection of release amount, while mixed optimal control has the best comprehensive effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthomyiidae is a family of flies distributed worldwide comprising approximately 2,000 species, which, based on molecular analyses, belong to the Muscoidea grade. The phylogenetic data for this family are limited and the Neotropical lineages have never been studied at the molecular level. Herein, we present the first phylogenetic analyses of Anthomyiidae including Neotropical taxa. The resulting phylogenetic trees – inferred using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian criteria and based on two nuclear and three mitochondrial genes and 56 terminals, including 13 Neotropical anthomyiid species – confirmed Anthomyiidae as a monophyletic lineage and sister group of Scathophagidae, which is also monophyletic. The clade Coenosopsia + Phaonantho was not recovered as a sister group of the remaining anthomyiids, as previously indicated by the results of morphological analyses. These and other generic relationships are discussed in the light of morphological data from previous studies. The divergence time estimation suggested that after a split from the Oestroidea clade approximately 51.7 Ma, the radiation of Anthomyiidae + Scathophagidae began during the Eocene, with the oldest common ancestor of both families living approximately 40.5 Ma and with the oldest anthomyiid ancestor living approximately 36.8 Ma. The split of the clade Coenosopsia + Phaonantho was dated to the Oligocene (c. 23 Ma). These results provide new insights into the timing and rate of anthomyiid and scathophagid fly evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila melanogaster males reduce courtship behaviour after mating failure. In the lab, such conditioned courtship suppression, aka 'courtship conditioning', serves as a complex learning and memory assay. Interestingly, variations in the courtship conditioning assay can establish different types of memory. Here, we review research investigating the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that allow male flies to form memories of previous mating failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in hundreds of genes cause neurodevelopmental disorders with abnormal motor behavior alongside cognitive deficits. Boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS), a leading monogenic cause of intellectual disability, often display repetitive behaviors, a core feature of autism. By direct observation and manual analysis, we characterized spontaneous-motor-behavior phenotypes of Drosophila dfmr1 mutants, an established model for FXS. We recorded individual 1-day-old adult flies, with mature nervous systems and prior to the onset of aging, in small arenas. We scored behavior using open-source video-annotation software to generate continuous activity timelines, which were represented graphically and quantitatively. Young dfmr1 mutants spent excessive time grooming, with increased bout number and duration; both were rescued by transgenic wild-type dfmr1+. By two grooming-pattern measures, dfmr1-mutant flies showed elevated repetitions consistent with perseveration, which is common in FXS. In addition, the mutant flies display a preference for grooming posterior body structures, and an increased rate of grooming transitions from one site to another. We raise the possibility that courtship and circadian rhythm defects, previously reported for dfmr1 mutants, are complicated by excessive grooming. We also observed significantly increased grooming in CASK mutants, despite their dramatically decreased walking phenotype. The mutant flies, a model for human CASK-related neurodevelopmental disorders, displayed consistently elevated grooming indices throughout the assay, but transient locomotory activation immediately after placement in the arena. Based on published data identifying FMRP-target transcripts and functional analyses of mutations causing human genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, we propose the following proteins as candidate mediators of excessive repetitive behaviors in FXS: CaMKIIα, NMDA receptor subunits 2A and 2B, NLGN3, and SHANK3. Together, these fly-mutant phenotypes and mechanistic insights provide starting points for drug discovery to identify compounds that reduce dysfunctional repetitive behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leishmaniasis is a public health problem worldwide. We aimed to predict ecological niche models (ENMs) for visceral (VL) and cutaneous (CL) leishmaniasis and the sand flies involved in the transmission of leishmaniasis in São Paulo, Brazil. Phlebotomine sand flies were collected between 1985 and 2015. ENMs were created for each sand fly species using Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Modeling software, and 20 climatic variables were determined. Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) and Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), the primary vectors involved in CL and VL, displayed the highest suitability across the various regions, climates, and topographies. L. longipalpis was found in the border of Paraná an area currently free of VL. The variables with the greatest impact were temperature seasonality, precipitation, and altitude. Co-presence of multiple sand fly species was observed in the cuestas and coastal areas along the border of Paraná and in the western basalt areas along the border of Mato Grosso do Sul. Human CL and VL were found in 475 of 546 (86.7%) and 106 of 645 (16.4%) of municipalities, respectively. Niche overlap between N. intermedia and L. longipalpis was found with 9208 human cases of CL and 2952 cases of VL. ENMs demonstrated that each phlebotomine sand fly species has a unique geographic distribution pattern, and the occurrence of the primary vectors of CL and VL overlapped. These data can be used by public authorities to monitor the dispersion and expansion of CL and VL vectors in São Paulo state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limoniid fly Trentepohlia (Mongoma) pouilloni n. sp. Ngô-Muller, Garrouste & Nel, is the first fossil insect to be described from Sumatra. On the basis of its wing morphology and venation, it is very similar to the extant Sumatran species Trentepohlia (Mongoma) pennipes (Osten Sacken, 1888), supporting a Miocene rather than older age for the amber. By comparison with the few available data on the biology of the extant species of the subgenus Mongoma, it probably lived in a warm and humid forest where it was trapped in dipterocarpacean resin. The wide Cenozoic distribution of the subgenus Mongoma in Europe and South-East Asia is in accordance with its extant circumtropical distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability of OB dump slope has been a major concern and require a proper design for safe mining operation. Utilisation of fly ash with OB material for construction of mine haul road and external dumping, may provide an alternative mode of fly ash disposal. In this study, fly ash was mixed with OB material at different percentages to evaluate the compaction characteristics, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and shear strength parameter. Tests were also performed with the addition of a different percentage of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) with fly ash-OB mix. Further, the effects of GGBS at various curing period on CBR and UCS characteristics were highlighted. Numerical modelling was carried out for dump containing OB material, fly ash and GGBS at different proportions to evaluate the Factor of Safety (FoS) and to suggest the optimum dump geometry. Experimental result infers that maximum CBR and UCS values were obtained for 78% OB material, 10% fly ash and 12% GGBS at 28 days curing period. Based on the observed FoS from numerical modelling, an optimal multiple regression model and artificial neural network model have been suggested for the direct prediction of FoS by various input parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green bottle flies (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Luciliinae) comprise a diverse and cosmopolitan taxon, known from at least 1,500 species. They have become crucial elements in forensic investigations, as they spend part of their life cycle in decaying remains. Here, we review the distribution of eleven Luciliinae species in Ecuador: the monotypic Blepharicnema and ten Lucilia species. We identified specimens using morphological characters. Additionally, we DNA barcoded 43 specimens from three species using 658bp segments of the standard Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial gen. Molecular and morphological identifications presented high correspondence, suggesting COI barcodes are an efficient tool for the identification of these three green bottle flies species. Geographical records are biased towards the northern Andean region, particularly near to large urban settlements. We remark the value to applied forensic research of continuous sampling of necrophagous flies under a variety of habitats and crime conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytotelmata are temporary pools of rainwater impounded on plants. These pools provide aquatic habitats in which immature stages of insects live. Zingiberales plants can have two types of phytotelmata, the bract pool on the inflorescence and the tubes formed as young leaves unroll. The Diptera fauna of these habitats are poorly known. This study reports on a systematic inventory of invertebrate communities from Zingiberales in Costa Rica and Peru. Collections of invertebrates were extracted from 251 phytotelmata representing six species of Zingiberales – Heliconiaceae: Heliconia robusta Pax, Heliconia stricta Huber, and Heliconia tortuosa Griggs; Marantaceae: Calathea lutea Schult; and Zingiberaceae: Alpinia purpurata (Vieillard) K. Schumann and Renealmia spp. Aquatic Diptera (620 larvae and pupae) were found in 34 samples (32 bract pools and 2 leaf rolls). These Diptera were extracted, sorted and identified to 22 morpho species in 5 families of aquatic 'Nematocera', two families of aquatic Brachycera, and one group of undetermined aquatic Brachycera families. Chironomidae (159 individuals, 3 species) were the numerically dominant family, then Syrphidae (141 individuals, 3 species), and Psychodidae (81 individuals, 2 species). The Peru phytotelmata contained more species of Diptera than the Costa Rica phytotelmata. Altogether, four new host associations are documented between aquatic Diptera and Zingiberales phytotelmata habitats in Costa Rica and 14 such records in Peru. Results of a cluster analysis indicate that communities of aquatic Diptera varied between sampling sites and within and between plants. Phytotelmata add to habitat heterogeneity and are likely to increase diversity of aquatic Diptera and other taxa; therefore, phytotelmata should be included in assessments of aquatic Diptera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's cities face key challenges to improving public health outcomes. First, unequally distributed public resources create insanitary conditions, especially in slums – threatening everyone's health, as suggested by poor child growth even amongst the wealthiest. Second, devolving services to elected bodies works poorly for highly technical services like public health. Third, services are highly fragmented. This paper examines the differences in the organisation and management of municipal services in Chennai and Delhi, two cities with sharply contrasting health indicators. Chennai mitigates these challenges by retaining professional management of service delivery and actively serving vulnerable populations − while services in Delhi are quite constrained. Management and institutional issues have received inadequate attention in the public health literature on developing countries, and the policy lessons from Chennai have wide relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dipteran family Streblidae are ectoparasites of bats. These flies are viviparous and have an intrauterine larval life phase, a free-living sessile puparium phase and the adult obligate parasite. Here we describe the external morphology of the puparium of Aspidoptera phyllostomatis (Perty, 1833), Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett, 1899), M. proxima (Séguy, 1826), Noctiliostrebla morena Alcantara et al., 2019, Paradyschiria parvula Falcoz, 1931, Strebla consocia Wenzel, 1966, Trichobius joblingi Wenzel, 1966 and T. longipes (Rudow, 1871) and provide an identification key. We also describe the method we developed for collecting the puparia, which was done between April 2015 and August 2016. The characters that most differentiated the species were spiracles and ornaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes and obesity are the two notorious metabolic disorders in today's world. Both diabetes and obesity are interlinked with each other and often referred to as 'Diabesity'. It is a complex and multi-organ failure disorder. Thus, many researches and tremendous efforts have been made toward prevention, treatment as well as early detection of diabesity. However, and still, there is a large gap in understanding the etiology as well as treatment of diabesity. Various animal models are also used to decipher the mechanism underlying diabesity. Among all the model organism, recently Drosophila melanogaster is gaining its importance to study diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorder. Various experimental methods like histological, biochemical, developmental, and behavioral assays are described in this study to detect diabetes as well as obesity in the fly model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an inverse study of heat transfer of a conductive, convective and radiative annular fin made of a functionally graded material. Three major parameters such as conductive–convective parameter, conductive–radiative parameter and the parameter describing the variation of thermal conductivity are inversely estimated from a specified temperature field. The forward solution of temperature field is obtained from the closed form solution of nonlinear heat transfer equation using Homotopy perturbation method (HPM). A dragonfly algorithm that simulates the swarming behaviour of dragonflies, as analogous, is employed in finding out the inverse parameters. The temperature values of the forward solution are used as input data for the inverse analysis. The inverse parameters are then estimated iteratively by minimizing the objective function until the guessed temperature field approximately satisfies the preassigned temperature field of the forward solution. The inverse simulation following HPM-based forward solution converges faster than ordinary differential equation-based forward solution. The reconstructed temperature fields obtained from the various combination of inverse parameters give good agreement (∼1% error) with the desired temperature field. Thus, the presented inverse model provides an opportunity to the fin designer for selecting the several feasible combinations of thermal parameters suggesting the material design that result in a prescribed temperature field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied phylogenetic and taxonomic features of isolates identified as Lagenidium giganteum recovered from six different species of mosquito larvae. The isolates grew vigorously at 25 C, moderately at 30 C, and not at all at 37 C and developed submerged, white colonies with few short, hyaline, aerial hyphae. Cultures displayed phenotypic plasticity, with broad, hyaline hyphae strongly constricted at septa that developed oval, spherical, or amorphous segments. These developed into sporangia producing one or two exit tubes, from which evanescent gelatinous vesicles containing zoospores developed. Three isolates developed oogonia consistent with features previously described for L. giganteum. Phylogenetic analysis of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS = ITS) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COXII) sequences of L. giganteum consistently grouped into eight clusters. Four of the investigated isolates grouped with sequences of an unnamed Lagenidium species infecting nematodes. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic data, we describe the latter isolates as L. juracyae, sp. nov. In addition, we also investigated a species of Paralagenidium from a dog with lagenidiosis and describe it as new, Paralagenidium ajellopsis, sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Why more accounts do not mention flies": Deconstruction, or the Corpse of Man Cut by the Insect This paper stages an encounter between certain moments of textual transgression, articulated in differing disciplinary registers, which intersect at the "exorbitant"[1] terminus marked by the figure of the "insect". I did not know exactly why these parenthetic carnivorous flies were so fascinating, even fabulous, until I chanced upon the "insect-asides" of Derrida.[59] In "Typewriter Ribbon", in the middle of a long engagement with Paul de Man's reading of Rousseau's autobiography, Derrida opens a digression: It might be worthwhile to ask whether the name "insect" is different from the name "animal", but this paper cannot pursue that thread.[96] Derrida notes that the word "insect" can mean both "linking up" and "cutting", tempting deconstruction to deploy it as one of those fulcrums turning on which it accesses a text.[97] In a way the divisibility of the I graphic mark i "insect", beyond semantic limits, makes it stand for a certain interval between "deconstructibility" and "undeconstructibility". [Extracted from the article]

Specialty courts—such as drug courts, mental health courts, or domestic violence courts—tend to assume, either implicitly or explicitly, that particular groups of offenders have unique problems that can be best met with specialized case processing. Put simply, specialty courts assume that offenders themselves are specialists when it comes to offending. There is, however, a criminological fly in the ointment. The problem is that criminological theory and research have long demonstrated that offenders tend to be generalists and that they rarely specialize in any given form of misbehavior. Accordingly, the authors argue here that the notion of the "generality of deviance" presents a problem for the potential effectiveness of specialty courts because they are likely operating on a faulty set of ideas about offending behavior. The authors offer strategies for moving forward to better integrate the notion of the generality of deviance into specialty courts: in particular, embracing a rehabilitative philosophy and adopting well-documented correctional treatment approaches such as cognitive-behavioral interventions and the risk-need-responsivity model. They conclude by highlighting the risks associated with granting system efficiency a position of privilege among the multiple goals of corrections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents three genera and 10 species of flies (order: Diptera) as new country records from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The flies were identified from Rawdhat Khorim National Park in Riyadh Region, the central region of KSA. The newly recorded genera are Glabellula (Mythicomyiidae), Phora (Phoridae) and Ceroptera (Sphaeroceridae), and the newly recorded species are Dilophus lingens (Bibionidae), Stichopogon deserti (Asilidae), Glabellula sp. (Mythicomyiidae), Phora sp. (Phoridae), Liriomyza lutea (Agromyzidae), Ceroptera aharonii (Sphaeroceridae), Trixoscelis deemingi, Trixoscelis migueli and Trixoscelis puncticornis (Trixoscelididae), and Physiphora leucotricha (Ulidiidae). Glabellula sp. and Phora sp. have been identified only to the genus level and are listed herein only because this is the first time they have been recorded in KSA, and additional specimens are required for their accurate identification to the species level. Also, this is the first record of Trixoscelis deemingi Woźnica and Trixoscelis migueli Woźnica from the Palaearctic Region. Distribution, diagnoses, remarks on biology and coloured photos are given for the recorded taxa. A list of associated fly species that were previously recorded in KSA and are identified from the study area in the present study is also presented. Zoogeographically, 33% of the identified fly species showed both Afrotropical and Palaearctic affinities, while 17% were of only Palaearctic affinity, and 8% were of only Afrotropical affinity. Elements from other regions were apparently nil. The results support the idea that the central Arabian Desert, which includes the present study area, is a transitional zone between the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hamaxiella brunnescens (Mesnil, 1967) (Diptera, Tachinidae) is a parasitic fly species and of great ecological importance in natural systems as parasitoids of herbivorous insects. The mitogenome of H. brunnescens was sequenced and analyzed here for the first time. The genome is 14,956 bp in length with high A þ T content, which consists of 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, two rRNA genes, and a partial noncoding control region. The phylogenetic analyses support a monophyletic Tachinidae. The two subfamilies Exoristinae and Phasiinae are fully supported as monophyletic while Tachininae is inferred to be paraphyletic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Troy D. Zars (1967–2018) was an American biologist. He studied the relationships between genes, neuronal circuits and behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Zars co-pioneered the use of transgene expression to locally restore gene function in memory-defective fly mutants, an approach that provided breakthrough insights into the localization of memory traces in the fly brain. With ensuing refinements of the methods of transgene expression and the broadening in the range of transgenes to be expressed, this shaped the field of modern behavioral neurogenetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tachinid flies are well known as being parasitoids of arthropods, mostly insects. Because of this, there is great economic interest in the biological control of pests using tachinids. Host records for Tachinidae, however, are still scarce, especially in the Neotropical region. A new species of the Neotropical genus Leptostylum Macquart was reared from Automeris naranja Schaus (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), a new host record, in Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brazil. Leptostylum oligothrix Gudin and Messas sp. nov. is herein described, including diagnosis and the first illustration of female terminalia for the genus. Additionally, illustrations and remarks on type material of Leptostylum deposited at Museu de Zoologia de São Paulo (MZSP) are made, a taxonomic catalogue of Leptostylum is provided, and a host record is detailed, including a host catalogue for the genus. www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C54E5F46-B9D5-49CE-A0C9-D260F2896662 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While surveying the diversity of fungi of the order Mucorales, two isolates, EML-PUKI12-1 and EML-PUKI06-1, were obtained from the gut of soldier fly larvae inhabiting the bulrush at a pond located in the Chonnam National University Arboretum, Gwangju, Korea. The isolates were confirmed as Mucor irregularis and Mucor fragilis species, respectively, based on the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of rDNA internal transcribed spacer region. Such mucoralean species belonging to undiscovered taxa has not previously been described in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sarcophagidae family of fresh flies bears strong importance in the context of forensic entomology due to their application in the estimation of the Post Mortem Interval (PMI). Sarcophaga is the major genus in the Sarcophagidae family and includes cosmopolitan species, which are distributed worldwide. In this communication, we present the analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of two species from Portugal – S. melanura and S. dux – and one from Brazil – S. ruficornis. The mtDNA of these species range from 14,882 bp to 15,190 bp and have 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes (PCG), and two rRNAs distributed along both strands. Our data include the first record of complete Sarcophaga mtDNA sequences from species collected in Portugal and in Brazil. These genomes represent an advance in the understanding about this group, expand the database, and can be used for the development of new markers for species identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flower fly genusAsiobacchaViolovitsh is revised and 10 new species are described:A. aeaMengual & Thompson,A. albipezaMengual,A. aquilaThompson & Mengual,A. doesburgiMengual,A. marissaeMengual,A. maculosaMengual & Thompson,A. notofasciataThompson & Mengual,A. samoaensisMengual,A. selsiMengual andA. taronjaMengual. Moreover, lectotypes are designated forBaccha semifumosaMeijere,Baccha luteolimbataMeijere,Asiobaccha nubilipennis(Austen),A. praefica(Bezzi),A. virtuosa(Curran) andA. sauteri(Kertész), and a neotype forA. loriae(Meijere) is also designated. New synonyms are proposed:Baccha schistaceifronsMeijere andBaccha semifumosaMeijer are synonymised underAsiobaccha bicolor(Austen);Baccha luteolimbataMeijere is a junior synonym ofAsiobaccha tinctiventris(Meijere);Baccha flavipesDoesburg is a junior synonym ofAsiobaccha tripartita(Walker);Baccha gigasCurran is a junior synonym ofAsiobaccha virtuosaCurran; and the syntypes ofBaccha sulicaAusten are synonymised underAsiobaccha bicolor(Austen) andAsiobaccha tripartita. Diagnoses, illustrations, synonymies and distributional data are given for all described species. Descriptions of new species as well as an identification key to all known species are also provided. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B627B0F-9440-47F1-90F4-9AF4C7308A99 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandflies vary in their distributions and role in pathogen transmission. Attempts to record distributions of sandflies in Thailand have faced difficulties due to their high abundance and diversity. We aim to provide an insight into the diversity of sandflies in Thailand by (i) conducting a literature review, and (ii) DNA barcoding sandflies collected from Wihan Cave where eight morphologically characterized species were recorded. DNA barcodes generated for 193 sandflies fell into 13 distinct species clusters under four genera (Chinius, Idiophlebotomus, PhlebotomusandSergentomyia). Five of these species could be assigned Linnaean species names unambiguously and two others corresponded to characterized morphospecies. Two species represented a complex under the nameSergentomyia barraudiwhile the remaining four had not been recognized before in any form. The resulting species checklist and DNA barcode library contribute to a growing set of records for sandflies which is useful for monitoring and vector control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to image and manipulate specific cell populations in Drosophila enables the investigation of how neural circuits develop and coordinate appropriate motor behaviors. Gal4 lines give genetic access to many types of neurons, but the expression patterns of these reagents are often complex. Here, we present the generation and expression patterns of LexA lines based on the vesicular neurotransmitter transporters and Hox transcription factors. Intersections between these LexA lines and existing Gal4 collections provide a strategy for rationally subdividing complex expression patterns based on neurotransmitter or segmental identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compilation of a DNA barcoding library of Norwegian stonefly (Plecoptera) species revealed thatLeuctra fusca(Linnaeus, 1758) andLeuctradigitataKempny, 1899 (Leuctridae) share haplotypes in northernmost Scandinavia. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA barcode marker COI and the nuclear marker 28S show that the shared haplotypes must result from the introgression of aL. fuscamitochondrion into aL. digitatapopulation on at least two occasions. Although mt introgression is widespread in animals, this represents the first documented case in Plecoptera. This study also included specimens ofL. cf.fuscafrom the Sierra Nevada massif in Spain, a population previously known asL. carpentieriDespax, 1945. Their mt haplotypes are ca. 13% different from other EuropeanL. fusca. However, their 28S alleles are compatible with their morphological identification asL. fusca. In view of the possibility of mt introgression, the taxonomic status of this population remains undecided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The life histories ofMeridialaris chiloeensis(Demoulin, 1955) (Leptophlebiidae: Ephemeroptera) andGigantodax rufescens(Edwards, 1931) (Simuliidae: Diptera) were studied in a Magellanic sub-Antarctic river in Navarino Island (55°S). Both species are distributed along the whole length of the watershed. Phenology was studied in the field for a period of 12 months between August 2009 and September 2010, at a site near the river's mouth (sea level). Cumulative degree-days were calculated along the gradient at five representative altitudinal locations, starting at the river's headwaters. Samples were obtained during January of 2010 at all the remaining altitudinal locations to assess possible changes in voltinism during the austral summer season through the watershed. Results show thatM. chiloeensisandG. rufescenshave a bivoltine and multivoltine life cycle, respectively, at sea level. Based on degree-days obtained and field observations at the remaining stations, possible voltinism patterns are discussed for both species along the altitudinal gradient. These species are proposed as suitable long-term indicators for climate change studies in the sub-Antarctic ecoregion of Magallanes, as monitoring their responses will be important in the interpretation of changes in ecosystem function, community structure, and distributions of aquatic taxa in this region of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite being a relatively new field, nanoscience has been in the forefront among many scientific areas. Nanoparticle materials (NM) present interesting physicochemical characteristics not necessarily found in their bulky forms, and alterations in their size or coating markedly modify their physical, chemical, and biological properties. Due to these novel properties there is a general trend to exploit these NM in several fields of science, particularly in medicine and industry. The increased presence of NM in the environment warrants evaluation of potential harmful effects in order to protect both environment and human exposed populations. Although in vitro approaches are commonly used to determine potential adverse effects of NM, in vivo studies generate data expected to be more relevant for risk assessment. As an in vivo modelDrosophila melanogasterwas previously found to possess reliable utility in determining the biological effects of NM, and thus its usage increased markedly over the last few years. The aims of this review are to present a comprehensive overview of all apparent studies carried out with NM andDrosophila, to attain a clear and comprehensive picture of the potential risk of NM exposure to health, and to demonstrate the advantages of usingDrosophilain nanotoxicological investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Seed kernel extracts of China berry (Melia azedarach) against oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) and tomato fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera), and commercial neem formulations containing azadirachtin (Biofree-I®and Thai neem 111®) against the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata) were tested in Taiwan and Thailand to confirm their effects on oviposition, feeding, growth and development. Various extracts fromM. azedarachseed kernels significantly reduced the oviposition ofB. dorsalisand the efficacy was similar to Biofree-I®. The green drupe and dry seed kernel extracts ofM. azedarachsubstantially increased larval mortality, and reduced successful pupation, pupal weight, adult emergence, fecundity and egg hatch ofH. armigeralarvae. Commercial neem formulations exhibited adverse morphogenic effects on various biological parameters ofM. vitrata, but they did not reduce oviposition and egg hatch.M. azedarachextracts and commercial neem formulations can be employed together for the sustainable management ofB. dorsalis,H. armigeraandM. vitrata. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tethered flies allow studies of biomechanics and electrophysiology of flight control. We performed microelectrode recordings of spikes in an indirect flight muscle (the dorsal longitudinal muscle, DLMa) coupled with acoustic analysis of wing beat frequency (WBF) via microphone signals. Simultaneous electrophysiological recording of direct and indirect flight muscles has been technically challenging; however, the WBF is thought to reflect in a one-to-one relationship with spiking activity in a subset of direct flight muscles, including muscle m1b. Therefore, our approach enables systematic mutational analysis for changes in temporal features of electrical activity of motor neurons innervating subsets of direct and indirect flight muscles. Here, we report the consequences of specific ion channel disruptions on the spiking activity of myogenic DLMs (firing at ∼5 Hz) and the corresponding WBF (∼200 Hz). We examined mutants of the genes enconding: 1) voltage-gated Ca2+ channels ( cacophony, cac), 2) Ca2+-activated K+ channels ( slowpoke, slo), and 3) voltage-gated K+ channels ( Shaker, Sh) and their auxiliary subunits ( Hyperkinetic, Hk and quiver, qvr). We found flight initiation in response to an air puff was severely disrupted in both cac and slo mutants. However, once initiated, slo flight was largely unaltered, whereas cac displayed disrupted DLM firing rates and WBF. Sh, Hk, and qvr mutants were able to maintain normal DLM firing rates, despite increased WBF. Notably, defects in the auxiliary subunits encoded by Hk and qvr could lead to distinct consequences, that is, disrupted DLM firing rhythmicity, not observed in Sh. Our mutant analysis of direct and indirect flight muscle activities indicates that the two motor activity patterns may be independently modified by specific ion channel mutations, and that this approach can be extended to other dipteran species and additional motor programs, such as electroconvulsive stimulation-induced seizures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, anthrax epizootics have been frequently documented in Texas over the last two decades. Once outbreaks begin, there is evidence for the potential role of hematophagous flies as vectors for the disease. Hypotheses on the role of biting flies in the transmission of anthrax date back more than a century. Both laboratory experiments and field studies have provided evidence of a biting fly transmission pathway. In particular, several studies have implicated biting flies during severe wildlife outbreaks in North America. Despite these implications, there is a lack of spatial analysis relating flies and anthrax. Here we report on the spatial patterns of anthrax in white-tailed deer on a well-studied ranch with a documented anthrax history. These patterns were evaluated against the spatiotemporal patterns of biting flies during the anthrax risk period. Unbaited fly traps were used to collect flies across the study ranch from June through August 2005. Kernel density analysis confirmed biting fly hotspots concentrated in the areas with highest densities of deer carcasses. The average nearest neighbor index confirmed that deer carcasses were spatially clustered and density estimates suggest that these are in proximity to areas supporting high fly populations. Dual kernel density analysis of carcasses and deer population identified a large dry riverine habitat as a high anthrax risk. Fly catch rates across the period identified a similar pattern to the anthrax risk surface. The high overlap between areas of sustained high fly catch rates and anthrax cases does suggest a relationship warranting future research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Taking the fly scene in Titus Andronicus as a point of departure, this essay examines several Romantic texts that use a fly as a trope to negotiate authorial anxieties about a literary marketplace that increasingly turned all texts into commodities, even as value-laden distinctions between the literary and the ephemeral (newspapers, journals, chapbooks) developed. I argue that self-conscious fly texts – ephemera about ephemera – by Coleridge, Blake, Southey, and Robinson disclose complex authorial stances that reach beyond sympathetic concern for insects and reveal how ephemera both defy and constitute the Romantic literary. Seemingly trivial, these fly poems, in fact, reveal complex meditations on the nature of Romantic authorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The black-winged fly, Felderimyia fuscipennis (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an insect pest of bamboo shoot, mainly distributed in Thailand, Malaysia and Yunnan Province and Guangxi Autonomous Region, China. The complete sequence of the mitogenome of F. fuscipennis has been determined in this study. The whole mitogenome sequence is 16,536 bp in length, which totally contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a non-coding region (putative control region, CR). The phylogeny indicates that F. fuscipennis of subfamily Trypetinae was monophyletic and clearly separated from both Dacinae and Tephritinae with high bootstrap value supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera:Tephritidae) is an important invasive pest and distributed throughout tropical, subtropical countries and areas. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of the fly with 15, 685 base pair in length, which includes 37 genes (the large and small ribosomal RNA subunits, 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 genes encoding mitochondrial proteins) and a noncoding AþT-rich control region. Molecular phylogeny indicated that there was a high bootstrap value supported among Z. cucurbitae and Z. tau belonging to the Z. tau complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tephritid fly Tephritis femoralis (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a pre-dispersal seed predator species peculiar to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China. It is a generalist endoparasite, and it is especially harmful to the Asteraceae species in the alpine meadow. The whole mitochondrial genome of T. femoralis is totally 15,117 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosome RNA (rRNA), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA), and 1 control region (CR). The mitochondrial genome contains 41.7% for A, 38.2% for T, 11.6% for C, and 8.5% for G in all base composition. The percentage of A + T content is 79.9%. The CR of T. femoralis was shorter than other species in Tephritidae. Our work provides the first complete mitochondrial genome data in the subfamily Tephritinae, which is important to further studies on evolutionary adaptation and phylogenetic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten new species of the subgenusStegana(Steganina) are described from southern to south-western China:S. (S.)convenasp. nov.,S. (S.)cylindricasp. nov.,S. (S.)eurystomasp. nov.,S. (S.)hamatasp. nov.,S. (S.)hirticepssp. nov.,S. (S.)latigenasp. nov.,S. (S.)planicepssp. nov.,S. (S.)rhomboicasp. nov.,S. (S.)setivenasp. nov. andS. (S.)sphaericasp. nov. They cannot be placed under any established species groups.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D4B6C5A7-3700-4B0C-8355-E4564C2A7296 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new species,Anacroneuria amargosa, A. quilombola, A. bahiensis, A. kaririandA. lencoensisare described from mountainous regions of Bahia State, northeast Brazil.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A19A676B-FD2D-4878-9D4D-497EC06E6551 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, the larva ofKempnyia colossica(Navás 1934) is described based on material collected in Parque Estadual Intervales, São Paulo State, and biological notes are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The male imago of Languidipes corporaali (Lestage, 1922), new status (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcyidae: Asthenopodinae), is described for the first time based upon adults associated with females. The male is distinguished from Povilla by the large eyes, short tarsi of forelegs, absence of a styliger plate and a triangular basal cell at the fork of CuA-CuP in the forewing. Based on examination of series of females of Povilla from localities in Africa and Asia, an apparent third intercalary in the Cu field of Povilla females is a not infrequent population variation in the genus. Following examination of the holotype photograph of Povilla adusta, the present generic concept of Povilla is considered valid. New records for Languidipes corporaali include Malaysia and Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pattern of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) distribution in rivers of Gunung Jerai catchment in Kedah, a northern state in Peninsular Malaysia, varied significantly among rivers (p < 0.005) coinciding with the substrate embeddedness and shaded areas of their habitats. Generally Ephemeroptera preferred a habitat with optimal embeddedness (0–25% substrates surrounded by fine sediments) while Trichoptera and Plecoptera preferred marginal (50–75% substrates surrounded by fine sediments) or suboptimal (25–50% substrates surrounded by fine sediments) conditions. The Kruskal–Wallis test indicated that the EPT abundance differed significantly among various categories of substrate embeddedness (χ 2 = 19.673, p < 0.005) and canopy cover (χ 2 = 20.723, p < 0.005). The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) ordination and the non-supervised artificial neural network (ANN) showed that distribution of Neoperla (Plecoptera), Hydropsyche and Setodes (Trichoptera) were strongly influenced by the embeddedness of rivers' substrates in the surrounding sand and silts in each river. In addition, the amount of canopy covering the water surface determined the associations of Kamimuria, Ecnomus, Macrostemum, Setodes and Ganonema with their habitats. These results showed that distribution of the EPT genera in these rivers was influenced by the availability of surface area on rocky substrates and the amount of light penetration into the water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable-fly (Stomoxys calcitrans L., Diptera: Muscidae) and other nuisance flies breeding in horticultural substrates around the Perth metropolitan area of Western Australia were investigated with regard to their larval habitats and relative abundances. Substrates were found to comprise either crop residue (i.e. stalks, leaves and fruit) left in or on the ground after harvesting, or harvested crop waste (i.e. reject produce or processing scraps dumped into open pits or fed to livestock). Stable-flies were the predominant species (485%) developing from a wide variety of trashed vegetable crop residues. Other flies developing from these materials included house-fly, lesser house-fly, false stable-fly, blue-bodied blow-fly, black carrion-fly and flesh-flies. Stable-fly development was reduced by 490% when crop residues were sprayed with diazinon or chlorpyrifos, either prior to or immediately after incorporation of the residue into soil. Untreated crop residues yielded several hundred to 41,000 stable flies/m2 of production. Insecticides applied several weeks after crop residue incorporation into soil did not significantly reduce stable-fly emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound eyes of white-eye mutant flies are considered to be more sensitive than those of the wild type because the former lack the screening pigment. The effects of constant light conditions on the circadian rhythm were examined in wild-type and white-eye mutant Protophormia terraenovae to identify plausible photoreceptors mediating constant light to clocks, which affect the free-running period and rhythmicity. Both the wild type and white-eye mutant showed clear rhythmicity under constant light conditions at 0.5 lx and 500 lx. Although the incidence of arrhythmia increased as light intensity increased, more than half of the flies were rhythmic at 500 lx. P. terraenovae seems to have a high threshold for light causing arrhythmia. Incidence of rhythmic flies and the free-running period under constant light conditions were not significantly different between the wild type and white-eye mutant. This suggests that photoreceptors operating under constant light conditions are extraretinal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]