[Syrphidae] Afrotropical flower flies = ID requests etc.

Fri May 18 13:46:09 BST 2012

All:

There is again an International effort among dipterists to develop a Manual of Afrotropical Diptera along the lines of the previous Nearctic (1980s), Palaearctic (1990s) and most recently Central America (2010). Ashley Kirk-Spriggs and Mike Mostovski are the general editors (see the website at http://afrotropicalmanual.net/ ) with publication expected in 2014.

As with these previous efforts, I am leading a team, with Graham Rotheray doing the immatures, and myself the adults with the help of Henri Dirickx, Marc de Meyer and Axel Ssymank. The generic key is finished and I am trying to get illustrations done for it. We will probably try to publish a more comprehensive conspectus before the Manual, perhaps early next year.

I have also assembled various species level keys from the literature and material. 

I would be happy to make these materials available to others who are willing to respect the intelligence content, etc. ***

And I would be happy to help identify material. At least to generic group level, common species and in some group species.

I would very much like to see any material of the cerioidine group (Ceriana, Sphiximorpha, Monoceromyia, Polybiomyia), and the rat-tailed maggots (eristalines), etc.

PLEASE contact me directly at my official e-mail (thompsonf at si.edu)  before mailing material (see below). Feel free to use either my personal (xelaalex at cox.net) or professional e-mail for correspondence.

MAILING address for material:

F. Christian Thompson
Research Scientist (Emeritus)
Department of Entomology
NHB-0169
Smithsonian Institution
PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012 USA

*** I should also note that I do maintain manuscript keys to the genera of flower flies for various regions (Nearctic, Neotropical, Palaearctic, Oriental, Australia, Oceanian, New Zealand). Most of these have been published over the years, but these MS are more up-to-date. These also are available. Species keys are available for Australia, the Neotropics, New Zealand, and the Nearctic.

And as the years are fewer now, I am working on my “magnus opus,” which will be a world conspectus including a species catalog and extensive taxonomic bibliography. Most of the species and names are in and are being up-dated periodically in our Systema Dipterorum (see www.diptera.org) but I will warn you that the version online today does not reflect what is in the master files. As we are currently an unfunded project, we are reluctant to continue to provide FREE taxonomy to the public, especially when funding organizations do not provide funding for CONTENT, only new software programs!

But having said that I remains always willing and wanting to work with syrphid workers DIRECTLY and will try to do what will help them and the community privately.

From: James Wolstencroft 
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2012 5:37 AM
To: Hoverfly discussion list 
Subject: [Syrphidae] ID requests etc.

On a different heading ... 
Please could anyone point me to recent work on, or students of afrotropical: Syrphidae, Tabanidae and Asilidae?

I see a few species, some quite frequently, in my field work in northern Tanzania, and increasingly at Tonkolili in north central Sierra Leone.
I am hardly an amateur - dipterist - but would very much like to correspond with others who are more knowledgeable.

Many thanks,
James Wolstencroft

On 17 May 2012, at 22:21, ximo mengual sanchis wrote:

I would say it is Arctophila bombiformis based on the facial profile, and facial and thorax coloration.

Best!

Ximo

2012/5/17 Francis Gilbert <Francis.Gilbert at nottingham.ac.uk>

  Hi everyone

  Is this Arctophila bombiformis?

  Or is it an unusual morph of Volucella bombylans?

  Thanks!

  Francis

  Dr Francis Gilbert

  Associate Professor of Ecology, School of Biology

  University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

  Tel: +44 (0) 115 951 3215

  website: www.nottingham.ac.uk/~plzfg

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-- 

******************************************************** 
Dr. Ximo Mengual
Head of the Diptera Section - Curator
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig 
Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity
Adenauerallee 160 
D-53113  Bonn, Germany
Phone: 0049 (0)228 9122 292
e-mail: xmengual at gmail.com
https://www.bolgermany.de/
http://syrphidae.lifedesks.org/
http://entomology.si.edu/StaffPages/MengualJ.html

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