The World Catalogue of the Conopidae offers the first complete list of this Diptera family worldwide since 1919. 808 recent and fossil species, together with their synonyms, belonging to 57 genera are listed. All original descriptions have been verified by the author. Type material and its depository is described for every species, the published distribution for each species is documented at the country level, and a complete list of references is provided for every record. Published information concerning hosts, possible hosts and egg carriers is compiled, with some 309 host species being reported for 73 species of Conopidae. With more than 1450 literature citations, this catalogue presents by far the most complete taxonomic assessment of this family produced to date.

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.

The first volume to appear in a new series of handbooks deals with the ca. 115 families of Diptera (flies and Mosquitoes) known or suspected to occur in the islands of Malesia. Diptera constitute one of the larger orders of insects, and are generally considered to be a taxonomically difficult group, even at the family level. They include various economically important groups, some for example acting as vectors of diseases in man and cattle, while others are beneficial in pest control by virtue of their parasitic of predatory habits. In this work, each family is characterised, and a key using characters of the adult insects enables identification to family level. In addition, information is provided on biology, ecology, economic importance, distribution, and status of taxonomic knowledge, with key references to each family. It further includes an introduction to the higher classification, general biology and morphology, with an extensive glossary. The text is illustrated with more than 200 line drawings. An exhaustive and up-to-date list of references facilitates access to the pertinent literature. For this book, the author has worked together with world specialists of the respective families. The Families of Diptera of the Malay Archipelago will be an indispensable tool for all those working in the fields of ecology, systematic biology, and conservation, as well as applied biology.

Set includes revised editions of some issues.