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Somatiosoma variseta sp. n. is described from Israel. This primarily Afrotropical and Arabian genus is discussed and a key to all known species is given.

Camilla flavicauda Duda represents the first camillid fly species recorded for the United Arab Emirates.

Additional records of 28 species of interest belonging to acalyptrate families Lonchaeidae (1 species), Lauxaniidae (2 species), Chamaemyiidae (9 species), Agromyzidae (16 species) and Opomyzidae (1 species) from glacial sand deposits in the Czech Silesia (NE Czech Republic) are presented and their association with sandy habitats discussed. A total of 25 species are recorded from the Czech Silesia for the first time, 15 are new additions to the fauna of Moravia of which 11 are also new for the whole of the Czech Republic. Six species (Lauxaniidae 1, Agromyzidae 5) are new additions to the Diptera fauna of Poland. Leucopis cerasiphila Gomolitzkaja & Tanasijtshuk, 1986 is recorded for the first time from Europe. None of the here reported species is classified as psammobiont but 8 species are considered psammophilous or probably psammophilous, viz. Minettia longiseta (Loew, 1847) (Lauxaniidae), Leucopis kaszabi Tanasijtshuk, 1970 (Chamaemyiidae), Cerodontha (Xenophytomyza) leptophallus Papp, 2016, Hexomyza sarothamni (Hendel, 1923), Liriomyza dracunculi Hering, 1932, L. latigenis (Hendel, 1920), L. yasumatsui Sasakawa, 1972 (Agromyzidae) and Geomyza subnigra Drake, 1992 (Opomyzidae). The conspicuous species diversity of Chamaemyiidae in Silesian glacial sand deposits is discussed.

An account is given of the Chyromyidae (Diptera) of Cyprus. First records are given for 15 species in the genus Aphaniosoma Becker, one in Gymnochiromyia Hendel and three in Chyromya Robineau-Desvoidy. Two species are described as new to science: Aphaniosoma cypriense sp. n. and A. pteropus sp. n. The possible origin of this fauna and its affinity with that of neighbouring countries is discussed.

The family Carnidae is reported from the Balearic Islands (Spain) for the first time. Meoneura glaberrima Becker, 1910 and M. prima (Becker, 1903) are new records and two species are described as new: M. ibizana sp. n. and M. micropygialis sp. n. This brings the total number of species of Meoneura known from Spain to 31.

An account is given of the Empididae of Malta. The eleven species known to inhabit the islands are listed with data for the eight species not previously published. The paucity of species on the Maltese Islands is briefly discussed in the context of the distribution of the family and some aspects of its ecology.

Records of 18 species of the families Micropezidae (1 species), Lonchaeidae (1 species), Lauxaniidae (1 species), Chamaemyiidae (6 species), Agromyzidae (6 species) and Chloropidae (3 species) from glacial sand deposits in the Czech Silesia (NE Czech Republic) are presented and their association with sandy habitats is discussed. All of them are recorded from the Czech Silesia for the first time, 4 are new additions to the fauna of Moravia and 9 for the whole Czech Republic. None of the recorded species is psammobiont but five of them are classified as psammophilous, viz. Micropeza lateralis Meigen, 1826 (Micropezidae), Calliopum geniculatum (Fabricius, 1805) (Lauxaniidae), Cerodontha (Xenophytomyza) leptophallus L. Papp, 2016, Ophiomyia disordens Pakalniškis, 1998 (both Agromyzidae), Aphanotrigonum parahastatum Dely-Draskovits, 1981 (Chloropidae), and Leucopis celsa Tanasijtshuk, 1979 as probably psammophilous. A new easternmost record of M. lateralis (from S. Poland: Godów) is presented and the association of this species and C. geniculatum with growths of Cytisus scoparius is confirmed. Leucopis monticola Tanasijtshuk, 1961, L. celsa and A. parahastatum are recorded from northernmost known localities. These species, and also C. (X.) leptophallus seem to be thermophilous and/or xerophilous and can be considered southern elements in the Silesian fauna of Diptera.

A new species of Micropezidae, Micropeza kettaniae, is described from Morocco and the twelve west Palaearctic species of Micropeza Meigen are keyed. This is the first record of the family from Morocco and the second species to be described from North Africa.

A checklist is presented of all 986 extant species of Diptera known from the archipelago of the Maltese Islands situated in the central Mediterranean. Species considered to be alien to the Islands are listed with annotations in Appendix 1. The history of dipterology applicable to the islands is outlined and the three important historical published records by Zetterstedt, Rondani and Bezzi & de Stefani-Perez are listed in Appendices 2–4. Species names that are synonyms are indicated where these were used in published records for Malta more or less after the Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera was published. Species we consider to have been misidentifications are also indicated with an annotation in most cases. Vermileo immaculatus Carles-Tolrá syn. n. & Cuesta-Segura and Vermileo balearicus Wheeler syn. n. are proposed junior synonyms of Vermileo vermileo (Linnaeus).

The representation in the Maltese Islands of the Order Orthoptera, including the Tettigonioidea, Grylloidea, Gryllotalpoidea, Tetrigoidea, Pyrgomorphoidea and Acridoidea, is reviewed for the first time in almost fifty years. A total of fifty-five species are treated, of which forty-six are accepted and nine are rejected on the basis of re-evaluated taxonomic evidence, including the re-examination of actual specimens from historical collections, and consideration of species’ distribution. Two species, namely, Platycleis sabulosa Azam, 1901 and Oecanthus dulcisonans Gorochov, 1993, are reported for the first time from the Maltese Islands. Of the confirmed taxa, the occurrence of three species, Oedipoda caerulescens caerulescens (Linnaeus, 1767), Sphingonotus obscuratus lameerei Finot, 1902, and Sphingonotus savignyi savignyi Saussure, 1884, is considered accidental and another species, Schistocerca gregaria gregaria (Forskål, 1775), is known for its dependence on episodes of passage from the African mainland, while the status of another four taxa remains unclear. Extirpation of some of the rare and localised species, such as Conocephalus conocephalus (Linnaeus, 1767), Ruspolia nitidula (Scopoli, 1786), Brachytrupes megacephalus (Lefebvre, 1827), and Heteracris adspersa (Redtenbacher, 1889), is not excluded unless appropriate conservation measures are introduced and implemented.

The following species of Chyromyidae are new records for Morocco: Chyromya robusta Hendel, Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, A. quadrinotatum (Becker) and A. rufum Frey. Gymnochiromyia tschirnhausi is described as a new species. The total number of Chyromyidae species known from Morocco is 24.

The Chyromyidae of Turkey are reviewed and all 15 species known from the country are listed. The following are new records: Chyromya miladae Andersson, 1976, Gymnochiromyia inermis (Collin, 1933), Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903, A. micromacro Carles-Tolrá, 2001, A. propinquans Collin, 1949 and A. proximum Ebejer, 1998.

Taxonomic characters separating the genera Lauxania , Calliopum and Sapromyza are discussed. The taxonomy of Sapromyza sordida , S. halidayi and S. tuberculosa is revised. Sapromyza sordida and S. halidayi are proposed junior synonyms of S. tuberculosa , which is transferred to Calliopum , comb. nov. The Minettia punctiventris group of species is characterized and the following taxonomic changes are proposed: Minettia suillorum (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830), = Sapromyza tinctiventris Rondani, 1868—syn. nov.; = Sapromyza muricata Becker, 1895—syn. nov.; = Sapromyza subtinctiventris Papp, 1981—syn. nov. Minettia aenigmatica sp. n. is described within this group.

A review of the West African “snail-killing flies” or “marsh flies” (Sciomyzidae) shows that the fauna is not as dominated by the generally aquatic, predaceous genus Sepedon as was previously considered. Twenty species in seven genera, including three new species, Colobaea occidentalis, Pteromicra zariae and Sepedonella castanea are recorded. The Holarctic-Oriental genera Colobaea and Pteromicra are documented from Africa south of the Sahara for the first time. Biogeographical analyses based on the discovery of “Palaearctic” genera of Diptera south of the Sahara, faunal connections, and dispersal routes are presented. A key for identification and illustrations of diagnostic characters for some species are included.

The genus Prochyliza Walker is recorded for the first time from the Afrotropical Region. A new species, Prochyliza ignifera sp. nov., is described from the Indian Ocean islands of Aldabra and La Réunion. The status of this species as possibly the most primitive in the genus Prochyliza is hypothesised and discussed, raising some questions about the taxonomy and the zoogeographical origin of the group. The holotype of Piophila viridicollis Macquart from La Réunion was studied and it is instated as a subjective junior synonym of Piophila casei (Linnaeus), syn. nov.

The genus Prochyliza Walker is recorded for the first time from the Afrotropical Region. A new species, Prochyliza ignifera sp. nov., is described from the Indian Ocean islands of Aldabra and La Réunion. The status of this species as possibly the most primitive in the genus Prochyliza is hypothesised and discussed, raising some questions about the taxonomy and the zoogeographical origin of the group. The holotype of Piophila viridicollis Macquart from La Réunion was studied and it is instated as a subjective junior synonym of Piophila casei (Linnaeus), syn. nov.

Nineteen species of Chyromyidae from Morocco are listed with data and compared to the fauna of the other North African countries bordering the Mediterranean. Five new species of Aphaniosoma, A. gatti, A. nigripes, A. nitidum, A. soror and A. zizense spp. n. are described and their relationships discussed and 11 species are recorded from Morocco for the first time.

An account is provided of the family Chyromyidae in the Afrotropical Region and taxonomic characters are re-examined and discussed. A division of the family into two subfamilies, Chyromyinae and Aphaniosominae subfam. n., is proposed and a cladistic analysis corroborates the generic concepts. Illustrated keys are provided to aid identification of both sexes of all included species. African species in the genus Gymnochiromyia Hendel have been reviewed elsewhere (Ebejer 2008b) and are not included in the current revision. Five new genera are described, viz. Krifomyia gen. n., Oroschyromya gen. n., Notiochyromya gen. n., Paraphaniosoma gen. n. and Tethysimyia gen. n. Aphaniosoma sexvittatum Lamb, 1914, is newly assigned to Paraphaniosoma gen. n. and Aphaniosoma deemingi Ebejer, 1996, to Tethysimyia gen. n. Rhicnoessa minutissima Bezzi, 1908, previously removed from Canacidae (as Tethininae) and placed in Chyromyidae by Munari in 1994, is re-examined and newly assigned to Krifomyia gen. n., Chyromya dubia Lamb, 1914, to Oroschyromya gen. n. and C. sexspinosa Lamb, 1914 to Notiochyromya gen. n. The following 27 species are described as new: Oroschyromya affinis sp. n., O. bicolor sp. n., O. elgonae sp. n., O. elongata sp. n., O. fusciceps sp. n., O. gracilipes sp. n., and O. peruncinata sp. n.; Notiochyromya filigera sp. n., N. lucida sp. n., N. monticola sp. n., and N. tripunctata sp. n.; Somatiosoma awashensis sp. n., S. grandicornis sp. n., S. messumensis sp. n., and S. setipygum sp. n.; Aphaniosoma aethiops sp. n., A. aldabrensis sp. n., A. atriceps sp. n., A. conspicuum sp. n., A. flavescens sp. n., A. frequens sp. n., A. gaiasicum sp. n., A. kirkspriggsi sp. n., A. micropygum sp. n., A. pullum sp. n., A. trilobatum sp. n., and A. ugabensis sp. n.

The genus Gymnochiromyia Hendel, 1933 is redescribed. Several new characters are used in the diagnosis, and the characters in the female postabdomen are presented and discussed for the first time. The little that is known on the biology, ecology and distribution of the genus is summarised. Fourteen new species are described from Southern Africa: balteata, capensis, gilva, maculiventris, malagasica, maraisi, megacephala, milieri, nubilipennis, pretoriella, setulosa, spinifera, stuckenbergi and turneri. A key is provided.

I known Palaearctic species of Aphaniosoma Becker are reviewed. Taxonomy and morphological variation are discussed. Notes on ecology and distribution are given where these are known. Eighteen species are described as new: bartaki, bicarinatum, egregium, falciferum, forcipatum, grisescens, impudens, necopinatum, nigricauda, nigrum, occidentalis, piligerum, proximum, scutellaris, seticauda, spiniventris, trisetum and verecundum. The males of five other species are described and/or illustrated where this was not previously available: annulatum Lyneborg, approximatum Becker, hackmani Lyneborg, nigrohirtum Hendel and unicolor Hendel. Two species are synonymised: graecum Ebejer = melitensis Ebejer, and trochanteratum Ebejer = collini Lyneborg. The males of hungaricum Soos, latifrons (Loew) and semiconsors Czerny remain unknown. The types of latifrons and semiconsors are redescribed and a lectotype is designated for semiconsors. A key for the identification of adults of both sexes is provided.

A new species of Chamaemyiidae from Turkey, Parochthiphila (Euestelia) argentiseta is described. Parochthiphila inconstans (Becker, 1903) is assigned to the subgenus Parochthiphila Czerny, 1904 after examination of the types. New records of 25 species are given from several countries around the Mediterranean and from Oman thus extending our previously scant knowledge of the distribution of these species of flies particularly in the Mediterranean.

The family Chryomyidae is reported from Sicily (eleven species) and from Sardinia (nine species). Additional records of species for mainland Italy are also given. A new species of Aphaniosoma is described from France, Sicily and Sardinia. A total of eleven species are new to Italy: Chyromya miladae, Gymnochiromyia fallax, G. flavella, G. inermis, G. mihalyii, Aphaniosoma collini, A. claridgei, A. grisescens, A. micromacro, A.proximum, and A. bifalcatum sp. n. A list is given of all the seventeen species so far recorded for Italy and its larger islands, together with their data and their distribution in the West Palaearctic.

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 Thyreophora cynophila (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.

An overview of the Chamaemyiidae of the Middle East is given with species distribution within the Arabian Peninsula. For countries bordering Saudi Arabia, the distribution is tabulated. Data on new records for species of Chamaemyiidae from countries within the Arabian Peninsula are included. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for Chamaemyia aurilinea sp. n., C. grisea sp. n., C. xanthopoda sp. n. and Melanochthiphila arabica sp. n. from Saudi Arabia.

1. Muscarinic receptors are important in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness, and dysfunction of these receptors has been suggested to be present in asthma. 2. The human muscarinic M(2) and M(3) receptor genes were screened for polymorphic variation using single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, complemented by direct fluorescent sequencing. Forty-six random DNA samples and 46 respiratory physician diagnosed asthmatic samples were used as a template for analysis. 3. Within the muscarinic M(2) receptor gene, we identified two degenerate single base substitutions (1197T-->C, Thr-->Thr and 976A-->C, Arg-->Arg) in one random and one asthmatic sample respectively. Analysis of the 3' UTR region revealed an additional 'A' at bp 1793 (c.f. ATG). This was present in all of 49 samples analysed by sequencing or BsmI digest, suggesting that the published sequence (GenBank Accession NO: M16404) is incorrect. A common 3' UTR polymorphism (T-->A) was found at bp 1696 (c.f. ATG) (allelic frequency=65%, n=60), but this does not alter transcription factor recognition sites. 4. We were unable to identify any polymorphic variation within the muscarinic M(3) coding region or the flanking regions investigated, using the methods described. 5. The coding regions for the human muscarinic M(2) and M(3) receptor genes are both highly conserved. These data suggest that polymorphic variation within these coding sequences is unlikely to account for inter-individual variability in response to methacholine or anticholinergic therapy. The potential functional significance of the muscarinic M(2) receptor 3' UTR polymorphism (bp 1696) remains to be determined.

Muscarinic receptors are a functionally important family of G-protein-coupled receptors. Using a combination of rapid amplification of 5′ cDNA ends and reporter gene assays, we characterized the 5′ untranslated region of the CHRM2 gene as expressed in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells. A splice site is present 46 bp upstream from the ATG start codon. Five exons with alternative splicing patterns are present upstream of this splice site, separated by introns ranging from 87 bp to > 145 kb. There is evidence for the gene being under the control of a TATA-less promoter with Sp1, GATA, and activator protein-2 binding sites. Multiple transcription start sites (TSSs) were identified. We identified a novel 0.5-kb hypervariable region located 648 bp upstream of the most 5′ TSS, a multiallelic (CA) tandem repeat 96 bp downstream of the most 5′ TSS, and a common C→A SNP located 136 bp upstream of the most 5′ TSS. Functional studies in primary HASM cells and the BEAS-2B cell line demonstrated highest promoter activity to be upstream of the most 3′ TSS, with potential repressor elements operating in a cell type-dependent manner, located upstream of the most 5′ TSS. We present functional data to show that the CA repeat may influence the transcription of the gene in HASM and BEAS-2B cells., peer-reviewed

Funder: Royal Entomological Society; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100013849, Funder: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government, Funder: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100005156, Funder: Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs, Funder: Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, 1. Entomology is key to understanding terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems at a time of unprecedented anthropogenic environmental change, and offers substantial untapped potential to benefit humanity in a variety of ways, from improving agricultural practices to managing vector-borne diseases and inspiring technological advances. 2. We identified high priority challenges for entomology using an inclusive, open, and democratic four-stage prioritisation approach, conducted among the membership and affiliates (hereafter ‘members’) of the UK-based Royal Entomological Society (RES). 3. A list of 710 challenges was gathered from 189 RES members. Thematic analysis was used to group suggestions, followed by an online vote to determine initial priorities, which were subsequently ranked during an online workshop involving 37 participants. 4. The outcome was a set of 61 priority challenges within four groupings of related themes: (i) ‘Fundamental Research’ (themes: Taxonomy, ‘Blue Skies’ [defined as research ideas without immediate practical application], Methods and Techniques); (ii) ‘Anthropogenic Impacts and Conservation’ (themes: Anthropogenic Impacts, Conservation Options); (iii) ‘Uses, Ecosystem Services and Disservices’ (themes: Ecosystem Benefits, Technology and Resources [use of insects as a resource, or as inspiration], Pests); (iv) ‘Collaboration, Engagement and Training’ (themes: Knowledge Access, Training and Collaboration, Societal Engagement). 5. Priority challenges encompass research questions, funding objectives, new technologies, and priorities for outreach and engagement. Examples include training taxonomists, establishing a global network of insect monitoring sites, understanding the extent of insect declines, exploring roles of cultivated insects in food supply chains, and connecting professional with amateur entomologists. Responses to different challenges could be led by amateur and professional entomologists, at all career stages. 6. Overall, the challenges provide a diverse array of options to inspire and initiate entomological activities, and reveal the potential of entomology to contribute to addressing global challenges related to human health and well-being, and environmental change.