Phorid News Issue # 8

Number 8, 1 May 2000
Brian V. Brown, editor
 

This newsletter has been a long time coming! I have been extremely busy in the last year or so, but hope to re-establish more regular publication of the Phorid Newsletter.

In the last couple of years I conducted field work in Brazil, Colombia and Guyana, and visited the collection of Borgmeier in São Paulo. Hopefully I can report on these activities in more detail in the near future.

As always, I would appreciate any contributions, large or small, to the newsletter.

Five natural history notes on Neotropical phorid flies
by Brian V. Brown
Citation: Brown, B.V. 2000. Five natural history notes on Neotropical phorid flies. Phorid Newsletter 8: 1-2. Published 1  May, 2000, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

The life histories of phorid flies are extremely poorly known, especially in relatively unstudied tropical regions. To make such information more widely known, five unusual life history notes are summarized below. None of the observations represent completed studies, but all are interesting and merit further investigation. Voucher specimens of phorid flies are deposited in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

1) The following information was sent to me by Dr. Phil DeVries (Milwaukee Public Museum). Dr. DeVries found a large snail, probably of the genus Plekocheilus (family Bulimulidae) near Añaga, Sucumbios, Ecuador (0.48?S, 76.38?W). It had a small swarm of phorid flies running on the surface of the shell and flying around it. He picked up the snail and put it in a plastic bag for further observations, noting that the animal had withdrawn and the flies had disappeared. The next day, he looked in the bag and found the snail alive and active, with the flies again present. He believes that the flies were hidden inside the shell, retreating there when the snail retracted. The snail itself was apparently healthy and uninjured. The flies were females of a species of Conicera.

2) Dr. Al Gillogly (Texas A&M University) pointed out to me that specimens of the passalid beetle genus Vindex from Guatemala often have a phorid puparium under and near the base of the elytra. He demonstrated this to me with one specimen from Volcan Zunil, Guatemala, in which I found a puparium with a pharate adult specimen that keys to the genus Johowia. Like many phorids keying out to Johowia, however, this fly appears to be merely a Megaselia with extra supra-antennal setae. According to Dr. Gillogly, the beetles are not harmed by the presence of the phorid, which possibly is a true parasite rather than a parasitoid.

3) In 1992 when I visited Pakitza, Peru, I collected specimens of Cryptophora coeca Borgmeier and Syntermophora microphthalma Seevers in a foraging column and riding on the backs of termites of the genus Syntermes. Reports of such phoresy (transport of one species by another) in phorids are rare.

4) I collected specimens of Pseudacteon conicornis Borgmeier attacking fire ants, Solenopsis saevissima (F. Smith) (ants identified by Dr. Sanford Porter, Gainesville, Florida), in Brazil. The flies were attracted to aggregations of ants created by disturbing the nest mounds. At my collecting site, near Desengano State Park, Rio de Janeiro (21.87?S, 41.80?W), these flies were the most common Pseudacteon species attracted to fire ants. This is the first recorded host information for P. conicornis.

5) In March, 2000, Giar-Ann Kung and I collected female specimens of Styletta crocea Borgmeier attacking stingless bees in Amacayacu National Park, Colombia (3.82?S, 70.26?W). This is the first report of the way of life of this species. Female flies landed near bees and curled their ovipositors anteriorly, between their legs, so that that ovipositor tip was below but in front of the head. They then walked rapidly towards the bees, attempting to oviposit in them. This is similar to the behavior shown by many Melaloncha species.

Some literature from the last 3 years
I have fallen behind in compiling the phorid literature, but below are at least some of the papers published in 1997, 1998 and 1999. As always, I appreciate receiving suggested additions or corrections to the list.

1997

Brown, B.V. 1997. Revision of the Apocephalus attophilus-group of ant-decapitating flies (Diptera: Phoridae). Contributions in Science 468:1-60.

Brown, B.V. 1997. Systematics and fossil evidence of host-parasitoid relationships of Calamiscus Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae). Journal of Natural History 31:1253-59.

Brown, B.V. 1997. The undescribed male of Beckerina sinefurca Borgmeier and the recognition of Neotropical Beckerina (Diptera: Phoridae). Entomological Problems 28:155-58.

Brown, B.V. 1997. Parasitic phorid flies: a previously unrecognized cost to aggregation behavior of male stingless bees. Biotropica 29:370-72.

Buck, M. 1997. Untersuchungen zur ökologischen Einnischung saprophager Dipteren unter besonderer. Berücksichtigung der Phoridae und Sphaeroceridae (Brachycera/ Cyclorrhapha) thesis, University of Ulm, Germany. vi + 194 + lv pp.

Buck, M. 1997. A new genus and species of Phoridae (Diptera) from Central Europe with remarkably primitive male genitalia. Entomologica scandinavica 28:351-59.

Disney, R.H.L. 1997. A new species of Phoridae (Diptera) that parasitises a widespread Asian ladybird beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Entomologist 116:163-68.

Disney, R.H.L. 1997. Post-eclosion heterochrony in the maturation of the adult females of a termitophilous fly (Diptera, Phoridae). Bonner zoologische Beiträge 47:77-86.

Disney, R.H.L. 1997. Recognition of a sibling species of the Australian Eutermiphora abdominalis Lea (Diptera: Phoridae). Bonner zoologische Beiträge 47:87-94.

Disney, R.H.L. 1997. A new species of Gymnophora (Dipt., Phoridae) from Germany. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 133:73-75.

Disney, R.H.L. 1997. Veruanus Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae). British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 10:69-71.

Disney, R.H.L. 1997. Fantastic flies and flights of fancy. Journal of Biological Education 31:39-48.

Disney, R.H.L. 1997. The micronesian Megaselia curtissima Beyer (Dipt., Phoridae) is a species of Woodiphora. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 133:115-16.

Disney, R.H.L. and P.L.T. Beuk. 1997. European Phalacrotophora (Diptera: Phoridae). Entomologist's Gazette 48:185-92.

Disney, R.H.L. and G. Campadelli. 1997. A new species of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae) reared from a moth larva (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) in Italy. Bollettino dell'Istituto di Entomologia della Università di Bologna 51:63-68.

Disney, R.H.L. and D.H. Kistner. 1997. Revision of the Oriental Termitoxeniinae (Diptera: Phoridae). Sociobiology 29:3-118.

Disney, R.H.L. and D.H. Kistner. 1997. New species and new host records of Phoridae (Diptera) associated with termites (Isoptera: Termitidae). Sociobiology 30:1-33.

Disney, R.H.L., G.-X. Li, and D. Li. 1997. A new species and two new records of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera, Phoridae) from mainland China. Giornale italiano di Entomologia 7:333-38.

Disney, R.H.L. and J.M. Ritchie. 1997. A new genus of Phoridae (Dipt.) that parasitizes an Afrotropical millipede (Diplopoda, Odontopygidae). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 133:151-56.

Disney, R.H.L. and A.J. Ross. 1997. Abaristophora and Puliciphora (Diptera: Phoridae) from Dominican amber and revisionary notes on modern species. European Journal of Entomology 93 (1996):127-35.

Feener, D.H.J. and B.V. Brown. 1997. Diptera as parasitoids. Annual Review of Entomology 42:73-97.

Gilbert, L.E. and L.W. Morrison. 1997. Patterns of host specificity in Pseudacteon parasitoid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) that attack Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Environmental Entomology 26:1149-54.

Green, D.M. 1997. A new record and a new species of Dohrniphora (Diptera: Phoridae) from Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 50:159-65.

ICZN. 1997. Sphaerocera Latreille, 1804 and Borophaga Enderlein, 1924 (Insecta, Diptera): conserved; Musca subsultans Linnaeus, 1767: specific name placed on the Official List. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 54:65-67.

Michailovskaya, M.V. 1997. A review of the genus Gymnophora Macquart (Diptera, Phoridae) from the Russian Far East. Far Eastern Entomologist 45:1-8.

Morehead, S.A. and D.H.J. Feener (1997): Is there cryptic host race formation in a parasitoid of ants? Pg. 87 in Tropical diversity: origins, maintenance and conservation. Program and Abstracts, Association for Tropical Biology Annual Meeting. San José, Costa Rica.

Morrison, L.W., C.D. Dall'aglio-Holvorcem, and L.E. Gilbert. 1997. Oviposition behavior and development of Pseudacteon  flies (Diptera: Phoridae), parasitoids of Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Environmental Entomology 26:716-24.

Mostovskii, M.B. 1997. A new species of the genus Choumyia (Diptera, Phoridae) from Thailand. Zoological Journal (in Russian). 76: 876-877.

Orr, M.R., S.H. Seike, and L.E. Gilbert. 1997. Foraging ecology and patterns of diversification in dipteran parasitoids of fire ants in south Brazil. Ecological Entomology 22:305-14.

Porter, S.D., D.F. Williams, and R.S. Patterson. 1997. Rearing the decapitating fly Pseudacteon tricuspis (Diptera: Phoridae) in imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the United States. Journal of Economic Entomology 90:135-38.

Sievert, V., S. Kuhn, and W. Traut. 1997. Expression of the sex determining cascade genes Sex-lethal and doublesex in the phorid fly Megaselia scalaris. Genome 40:211-14.

Weinmann, D. and R.H.L. Disney. 1997. Two new species of Phoridae (Diptera) whose larvae associate with large spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Journal of Zoology, London 243:319-28.

1998

Bragança, M.A.L., A.J. Tonahasca, and T.M.C. Della Lucia. 1998. Reduction in the foraging activity of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens caused by the phorid Neodohrniphora sp. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 89:305-11.

Brown, B.V. 1998. Auxanommatidia boreotis Beyer is a species of Veruanus (Diptera: Phoridae). Studia dipterologica 5:335-36.

Brown, B.V. 1998. New species and records of Gymnophora Macquart (Diptera: Phoridae) from southeast Asia. Contributions in Science 471:1-13.

Brown, B.V. 1998. Phoridae of Costa Rica. Phorid Newsletter 7:1-3.

Brown, B.V. and M. Buck. 1998. Review of the genus Hypocera Lioy (Diptera: Phoridae). Entomologica scandinavica 29:47-56.

Brown, B.V. and D.H. Feener Jr. 1998. Parasitic phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) associated with army ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ecitoninae, Dorylinae) and their conservation biology. Biotropica 30:482-87.

Disney, R.H.L. 1998. Two new species of Puliciphora Dahl (Dipt., Phoridae) from the U.S.A. and an Old World synonym. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 134:231-34.

Disney, R.H.L. 1998. A new genus of Phoridae (Diptera) from Australia. Giornale italiano di Entomologia 8 (1996):95-97.

Disney, R.H.L. 1998. The hitherto unknown male of Chaetopleurophora spinosa (Diptera: Phoridae). British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 10:193-95.

Disney, R.H.L. and W.-N. Chou. 1998. A new species of Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) reared from the fungus Pulveroboletus (Boletales: Boletaceae) in Taiwan. Bulletin of the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung 11:135-39.

Disney, R.H.L. and J.P.E.C. Darlington. 1998. A new species and new host records of Phoridae (Diptera) associated with termites (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Kenya. Sociobiology 32:167-80.

Disney, R.H.L. and E. Durska. 1998. A new genus and new species of Phoridae (Diptera) from Poland. European Journal of Entomology 95:437-53.

Disney, R.H.L. and D.H. Kistner. 1998. New species and new records of myrmecophilous Phoridae (Diptera). Sociobiology 31:291-349.

Disney, R.H.L. and D. Weinmann. 1998. A further new species of Phoridae (Diptera) whose larvae associate with large spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Entomologica scandinavica 29:19-23.

Disney, R.H.L., A. Weissflog, and U. Maschwitz. 1998. A new parasitoid species of Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) caught attacking a Camponotus species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sarawak. Sociobiology 32:181-86.

Disney, R.H.L., A. Weissflog, and U. Maschwitz. 1998. A second species of legless scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) associated with ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Zoology, London 246:269-74.

Durska, E. and R.H.L. Disney. 1998. A scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) reared from a beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Entomologist's Gazette 49:269-70.

Fain, A. 1998. Description of mites (Acari) phoretic on Phoridae (Insecta: Diptera) with description of four new species of the genus Uroseius Berlese (Parasitiformes, Uropodina, Polyaspididae). International Journal of Acarology 24:213-20.

Hibbs, P.J. and B.V. Brown. 1998. A new, extremely primitive species of Plethysmochaeta (Diptera: Phoridae) from South Africa. Studia dipterologica 4 (1997):367-69.

Hurst, G.D.D., F.K. McMeechan, and M.E.N. Majerus. 1998. Phoridae (Diptera) parasitizing Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) select older prepupal hosts. European Journal of Entomology 95:179-81.

Morrison, L.W. and L.E. Gilbert. 1998. Parasitoid-host relationships when host size varies: the case of Pseudacteon flies and Solenopsis fire ants. Ecological Entomology 23:409-16.

Michailovskaya, M.V. 1998. A review of the genus Spiniphora Malloch (Diptera, Phoridae) from the Russian far east. Far Eastern Entomologist 52:1-6.

Michailovskaya, M.V. 1998. Phorid flies (Diptera, Phoridae) of the Kuril Islands. Far Eastern Entomologist 55:1-8.

Porter, S.D. 1998. Biology and behavior of Pseudacteon decapitating flies (Diptera: Phoridae) that parasitize Solenopsis fire ants. Florida Entomologist 81:292-309.

Porter, S.D. 1998. Host-specific attraction of Pseudacteon flies (Diptera: Phoridae) to fire ant colonies in Brazil. Florida Entomologist 81:423-29.

Traut, W. and B. Wollert. 1998. An X/Y DNA segment from an early stage of sex chromosome differentiation in the fly Megaselia scalaris. Genome 41:289-94.

Woolf, G.E. 1998. A new species of Phoridae (Diptera) from Brazil. Giornale italiano di Entomologia 8 (1996):207-11.

1999

Brown, B.V. 1999. Differential host use by neotropical phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) that are parasitoids of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 33:95-103.

Brown, B.V. 1999. Review of the fossil Phoridae. Journal of Natural History 33:1561-73.

Brown, B.V. 1999. A fossil Hypocera species (Diptera: Phoridae) and its phylogenetic implications. Studia dipterologica 6:273-77.

Brown, B.V. and L.W. Morrison. 1999. New Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae) that parasitizes the native fire ant Solenopsis geminata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 92:308-3311.

Coomer, R.P.C. 1999. A new species of Tubicera Schmitz, 1920 (Diptera: Phoridae) from Algeria. Entomologist's Gazette 50:109-14.

Disney, R.H.L. 1999. Two new termitophilous Phoridae (Diptera) from Australia. Sociobiology 34:87-97.

Disney, R.H.L. 1999. Two new species of Rhynchomicropteron (Diptera: Phoridae) from Borneo. Sociobiology 34:429-32.

Disney, R.H.L. 1999. New species and a new key to Oriental Puliciphora. Entomologica scandinavica 30:243-48.

Disney, R.H.L. 1999. A troublesome sibling species complex of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) revisited. Journal of Natural History 33:1159-1216.

Disney, R.H.L. and D.H. Kistner. 1999. New species of Phoridae (Diptera) associated with termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae) in Australia. Sociobiology 34:35-43.

Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. and E. Marais. 1999. Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae) a potential pest problem in field prepared insect specimens. Cimbebasia 15:163-64.

Michailovskaya, M.V. 1999. A review of the genera Triphleba Rondani, Phora Latreille and Anevrina Lioy (Diptera, Phoridae) from Russian Far East. Far Eastern Entomologist 70:1-16.

Morrison, L.W. 1999. Indirect effects of phorid fly parasitoids on the mechanisms of interspecific competition among ants. Oecologica 121:113-22.

Morrison, L.W. and L.E. Gilbert. 1999. Host specificity in two additional Pseudacteon spp. (Diptera: Phoridae), parasitoids of Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 82:404-9.

Morrison, L.W., E.A. Kawazoe, R. Guerra, and L.E. Gilbert. 1999. Phenology and dispersal in Pseudacteon flies (Diptera: Phoridae), parasitoids of Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 92:198-207.

Morrison, L.W., S.D. Porter, and L.E. Gilbert. 1999. Sex ratio variation as a function of host size in Pseudacteon flies (Diptera: Phoridae), parasitoids of Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 66:257-67.

Mostovski, M.B. 1999. Curious Phoridae (Insecta: Diptera) found mainly in Cretaceous ambers. Estudios del Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Alava. 14: 231-243.

Reeves, W.K. and R.H.L. Disney. 1999. Taxonomy and biology of two Nearctic Region species of cavernicolous scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae). Studia dipterologica 6:207-18.

Sivinski, J., S. Marshall, and E. Petersson. 1999. Kleptoparasitism and phoresy in the Diptera. Florida Entomologist 82:179-97.

Triltsch, H. 1999. Another record of Phalacrotophora delageae Disney (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitizing the pupae of Adalia bipunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Studia dipterologica 6:233-34.

Phoridologists' Directory

The following is a list of the names, addresses and interests of phorid workers on my mailing list. Any additions, corrections or updates would be greatly appreciated. Those wanting to discuss their projects and interests at even greater length are welcome to do so.

Jeffery K. Barnes, Biological Survey, Rm.3132, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY, 12230, U.S.A. Telephone (518) 486-2004. Email jbarnes2@museum.nysed.gov.

Forbes P. Benton, CEPLAC/CEPEC/SECEN, Caixa Postal 7, CEP 45600-000, Itabun, Bahia, Brazil. Telephone (073) 214 3250. FAX (073) 214 3204. Email maxmz@ax.apc.org. Interests: Natural history, identification and faunistic surveys of Brazilian Phoridae. Elucidation of phorid life cycles. Behavioral interactions between parasitic species and their hosts.

Brian V. Brown, Entomology Section, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, U.S.A. Telephone (213) 763-3363. FAX (213) 746-2999. E-mail bbrown@nhm.org. Interests: Taxonomy, evolution, reconstructed phylogeny, biogeography and natural history of world Phoridae. I have a long-term project to revise the New World, ant-decapitating genus Apocephalus, but I am also working on a revision of the bee-parasitizing genus Melaloncha. I am interested in collecting methods for phorids, and in biodiversity surveys, especially those conducted in the tropics.

Matthias Buck, Dept. Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, NIG 2W1. Email mbuck@evbhort.uoguelph.ca Interests: Ecology and biology of Phoridae; community structure; ecology and biology of small saprophagous (especially necrophagous) Diptera breeding in small-sized and buried vertebrate and invertebrate carrion. Other interests are anatomy of the reproductive organs, larval morphology, phylogeny and hymenopterous parasitoids of small, necrophagous Diptera. So far, I have only worked in the Palaearctic Region.

R. Henry L. Disney, Dept. Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom. Telephone 0223 336654. FAX 0223 336676. Email rhld2@cam.ac.uk. Interests: Biology, taxonomy, phylogenetic reconstruction of world Phoridae. Currently revising Termitoxeniinae, including Alamira and Perissa.

Ewa Durska, Polska Akademia Nauk, Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii, 00-679 Warszawa ul Wilcza 64, Poland. Interests: Phoridae of Poland

Donald H. Feener, Jr., Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, U.S.A. Telephone (801) 581-6444. FAX (801) 581-4668. Email feener@bioscience.utah.edu. Interests: Ant-phorid interactions in general. Specific projects include: 1) chemical ecology of host location in phorid parasitoids of ants; 2) phorid parasitoids as biological control agents of pest ants; 3) evolution of host specificity of phorid parasitoids; 4) behavioral ecology of ant defenses against phorid parasitoids. I work mostly in the New World temperate and tropical regions, especially the southwestern U.S.A. and Central America (Costa Rica, Panama).

Patricia J. Folgarait, Unidad de Investigación en Interacciones Biológicas, Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Saenz Peña 180, 1876 Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Telephone: 54-1 365-7100, ext. 225. FAX 54-1 365-7101. Email pfolgarait@unq.edu.ar. Interests: 1) Ant- parasitoid interactions, in particular for ant pests, 2) biological control of ant pests, and 3) effects of phorids in structuring ant communities.  I am currently doing research on phorids of Solenopsis and Camponotus but I am also interested in phorids of leaf-cutter ants.

Mauro Gori, Via Del Cronaca 19, 50142 Firenze, Italy. Telephone 055/700588. Interests: Italian phorid fauna; life histories.

Tadao Gotô, Central Forest Research Lab and Training Center, Royal Forest Department, Bangken, Bangkok, 10900 Thailand.

David H. Kistner, California State University, Chico, CA, 95929-0515, U.S.A. Telephone (916) 898-5116. FAX (916) 898-6804. Interests: Mostly interested in Phoridae inhabiting the nests of social insects or preying on social insects. I am interested in all biogeographic regions, but have minimal taxonomic interests. I am currently working in collaboration with Henry Disney on Termitoxeniinae and a study of Phoridae of the upper Sacramento River, based on cantara spill collections.

Victor A. Kolyada, Department of Entomology, Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University, 6 Herzen Str. Moscow 103009, Russia. Interests: Taxonomy of the genus Megaselia and its fauna in the Palaearctic Region. Interested in exchanging for determined specimens from other biogeographical regions. Also interested in collecting methods.

Guangchun Liu, Ecological Laboratory, Department of Biology, College of Natural Science, Pusan National University, Pusan 609-735, South Korea. Telephone (051) 510-2261. FAX (051) 581-2962. Email liu@bugs.bio.pusan.ac.kr. Interests: Taxonomy of phorids; Chinese phorid fauna; phorids associated with mushrooms in China.

Marina Michailovskaya, Laboratory of Insects, Gornotaezhnaya Station, AN RAN, Ussurijsk District, Primorye Territory, 692533, Russia. Email root@ssursk.vladpost.marine.su. Interests: Taxonomy of phorids; Far East phorid fauna, including Primorskiy kraiy, Chabarovskiy kraiy, Sachalin, Kamchatka; phorids associated with dead animals.

Lloyd Morrison, Zoology Department, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, U.S.A. Telephone (512) 471-2825. FAX same as telephone. E-mail lmorrison@mail.utexas.edu. Interests: Effects of phorid parasitoids (genus Pseudacteon) on ant foraging and interspecific competition (genus Solenopsis); ant host species-specificity of Pseudacteon phorids; introduction of South American Pseudacteon species to the U.S. (Texas) as biological control agents against the imported fire ant, S. invicta.

Mikhail B. Mostovski, Arthropod Laboratory, Palaeontological Institute, 123, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117647, Russia. Telephone (095) 467-2340. FAX (095) 339-0622. E-mail rasna@glas.apc.org. Interests: Phorid fauna of former USSR.

E. Hugh A. Oliver, 172 Upper Dinsdale Road, Hamilton, New Zealand. Telephone 84 79541. FAX 64 7 838 5085. Interests: New Zealand phorid taxonomy and natural history.

Matt Orr, Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, U.S.A. E-mail morr@sfsu.edu Interests: Influences of phorids on ant foraging ecology, especially pest ants. Ant taxa of interest include Atta, Solenopsis, and Linepithema.

Sanford D. Porter, USDA-ARS, CMAVE, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, P.O. Box 14565, Gainesville, FL, 32604, U.S.A. Telephone (352) 374-5914. FAX (352) 374-5818. E-mail sdp@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu. Interests: Ant-parasitizing phorids, especially Pseudacteon: oviposition behavior, growth and development of larvae and pupae, host specificity, responses of ant hosts, biocontrol.

Sabine Prescher, Hinter der Masch 26, 38114 Braunschweig, Germany. Telephone 05 31 - 57 90 92. Interests: Palaearctic Phoridae, especially ecology of various species. At present I am investigating 1) the Phoridae of agricultural land with oilseed rape and peas; 2) of caverns in Germany and 3) of a forest after fire in Switzerland.

Garnet Suck, Institut für Biologie, Medizinische Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. Telephone (+49) 0451-500-4110. Fax (+49) 0451-500-4034. Email suck@molbio.mu-luebeck.de. Interests: Anything about phorid flies, especially Megaselia scalaris.

Athayde Tonhasca, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Agropecuarias, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. Interests: Phorids attacking leaf-cutting ants.

Walther Traut, Institut für Biologie, Medizinische Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. Telephone (+49) 0451-500-4100. Fax (+49) 0451-500-4034. Email traut@physik.mu-luebeck.de. Interests: Megaselia scalaris, predominantly with respect to the genetics of sex determination and the evolution of chromosomes.

Holger Triltsch, Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute for Integrated Plant Protection, Stahnsdorfer Damm 81, D-14532, Kleinmachnow, Germany. Telephone 033 203/22423-5, /48 300. FAX 033 203/22278. Interests: Species of Phalacrotophora Enderlein as parasites of Coccinellidae, especially Coccinella septempunctata L.; factors which determine the degree of parasitization; distribution in cereal fields and farmland.

Sven-Olof Ulefors, Färgerivägen 9, 38044 Alsterbro, Sweden. Telephone 46-223-19541. Interests: Canadian species of Megaselia; separation of M. pulicaria-group species.

Axel Froese and Bill Robinson have both informed me that they no longer work on phorids