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.

Insects are the most interesting and diverse group of organisms on earth, many of which are useful as pollinators of crops and wild plants while others are useful as natural enemies keeping pestiferous insects in check. It is important to conserve these insects for our survival and for this the diversity of insect species inhabiting the different ecosystems of our country must be known. The cornerstone to studies of any kind of organismal diversity is their taxonomic identity. Even after over two and half centuries of studies, so little is known of the insect wealth of our country. It has contributions from taxonomists who have been studying Indian insects for long, this book offers up to date information on many important groups of Indian insects seeking to fill the lacuna of a long felt need for a comprehensive work on the taxonomy of Indian insects. Salient features: Provides an up-to-date taxonomy of major insect groups of India Presents identification keys with illustrations of several important groups of Indian insects Gives a new insight into why insects are so abundant Addresses fundamental questions in mechanoreception and cross kingdom interactions using insects as model systems Indian Insects: Diversity and Science is a festschrift to Professor C. A. Viraktamath, an insect taxonomist par excellence. It has been designed to cater to the needs of academicians, researchers and students who wish to identify insects collected from local environments and will be an invaluable aid for those working in the areas of systematics, ecology, behaviour, diversity and the conservation of insects.

"Covers all 416 species of flower flies that occur north of Tennessee and east of the Dakotas, including the high Arctic and Greenland"--Page [4] of cover.

Thorp and Covich's Freshwater Invertebrates, Fourth Edition: Keys to Neotropical Hexapoda, Volume Three, provides a guide for identifying and evaluating a key subphylum, hexapoda, for Central America, South America and the Antarctic. This book is essential for anyone working in water quality management, conservation, ecology or related fields in this region, and is developed to be the most modern and consistent set of taxonomic keys available. It is part of a series that is designed to provide a highly comprehensive, current set of keys for a given bioregion, with all keys written in a consistent style. This series can be used for a full spectrum of interested readers, from students, to university professors and government agencies. - Includes zoogeographic coverage of the entire Neotropics, from central México and the Caribbean Islands, to the tip of South America - Identifies aquatic springtails (Collembola) and insects to the genus level for many groups, and family or subfamily level for less well known taxa - Presents multiple keys, from higher to lower taxonomic levels that are appropriate for each users' level of scientific knowledge and needs - Provides a general introduction and sections on limitations, terminology and morphology, material preparation and preservation, and references