A new species of Eumerus (Diptera, Syrphidae) from the Kingdom of Bhutan, the easternmost representative of the bactrianus subgroup.

A new species of Eumerus, Eumerus druk Smit sp. nov., is described from Bhutan. This species belongs to the bactrianus subgroup of the strigatus species group. Seven species are currently known within this subgroup: four European, one of which is also found in the Near East, and three more only known from Tajikistan. The new species extends this disjunct distribution to the east by at least 2,000 km, stretching far beyond the reported Turano-Mediterranean region and into the Himalayas. A diagnosis and a key to all Central and Eastern Palaearctic species of the Eumerus bactrianus subgroup are provided.

Can cycling safety be improved by opening all unidirectional cycle paths for cycle traffic in both directions? A theoretical examination of available literature and data.

Many studies have found bicycle-motor vehicle crashes to be more likely on bidirectional cycle paths than on unidirectional cycle paths because drivers do not expect cyclists riding at the right side of the road. In this paper we discuss the hypothesis that opening all unidirectional cycle paths for cycle traffic in both directions prevent this lack of expectancy and accordingly improves cycling safety. A new national standard requires careful consideration because a reversal is difficult once cyclists are used to their new freedom of route choice. We therefore explored the hypothesis using available data, research, and theories. The results show that of the length of cycle paths along distributor roads in the Netherlands, 72% is bidirectional. If drivers would become used to cyclists riding at the left side of the road, this result raises the question of why bidirectional cycle paths in the Netherlands still have a poor safety record compared to unidirectional cycle paths. Moreover, our exploration suggested that bidirectional cycle paths have additional safety problems. It increases the complexity of unsignalized intersections because drivers have to scan more directions in a short period of time. Moreover, there are some indications that the likelihood of frontal crashes between cyclists increases. We reject the hypothesis that opening all unidirectional cycle paths for cycle traffic in both directions will improve cycle safety. We recommend more attention for mitigating measures given the widespread application of bidirectional cycle paths in the Netherlands.

Fauna europaea: Diptera - brachycera.

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 Thyreophoracynophila (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.

Checklist of the 'lower Brachycera' of Finland: Tabanomorpha, Asilomorpha and associated families (Diptera).

A checklist of the 'lower Brachycera' of Finland is presented. This part of the complete checklist of Finnish Diptera covers the families Acroceridae, Asilidae, Athericidae, Bombyliidae, Mythicomyiidae, Rhagionidae, Scenopinidae, Stratiomyidae, Tabanidae, Therevidae, Xylomyidae and Xylophagidae.

A review of the Tabanus semiargenteus-subgroup as part of the Tabanus bovinus species-group (Diptera: Tabanidae) with the description of two new species for science.

The semiargenteus-subgroup of the Tabanus bovinus species group is reviewed. The known distribution area of the three previously known species could be significantly increased. T. semiargenteus Olsufjev, 1937 was for the first time recorded from Syria and Iran, T. olsufjevi Hauser, 1960 from Iraq and Iran and T. sarbazensisJezek, 1990 from Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Iraq. Two new species are described from this region, Tabanus beieri sp. nov. and T. lintzeni sp. nov. The male of T. sarbazensis is described for the first time. Species of the semiargenteus-subgroup are found in arid mountenous areas from the northern Levant (Lebanon, Syria) through south and east Turkey, northern Iraq and Iran towards Nakhichevan and Armenia with records typically from above 1000m, often even above 2000m. Host records are for the first time presented for the subgroup. Females were either collected on or in direct proximity of large ruminants like donkeys, horses and cows, none of the species was observed to attack man. Detailed diagnostic features as well as a key are presented for the females and males of the five species, two colour plates show the habitus as well as the heads in frontal and lateral view.

Pangonius theodori a new horse fly species for science from Israel and Lebanon (Diptera: Tabanidae: Pangoniinae).

Pangonius theodori a new horse fly species (Diptera: Tabanidae: Pangoniinae) from northern Israel and southern Lebanon is described. The zoogeography, habitat preference and taxonomic position within the genus of the new species is discussed in detail.

[An unusual cause of sinusitis]. / Een ongewone oorzaak van sinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Larvae of the sheep botfly (Oestrus ovis) normally have sheep or goats as host. In humans the larvae can survive for a short time in the nose or under the eyelids, after which they die or are sneezed out. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe a 47-year-old woman who during a stay in the Cape Verde Islands developed symptoms of sneezing, a swollen face and an itchy feeling in her nose. These symptoms were due to an infestation of three fully-developed larvae of the O. ovis species in her sinus maxillaries which were later evacuated by endoscopy. CONCLUSION: In exceptional cases larvae of the O. ovis species can fully mature in a healthy person after a visit to an endemic area. Development into the mature stage has only been described in patients with a poor mucosal immune response.

An annotated checklist of the horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Lebanon with remarks on ecology and zoogeography: Pangoniinae and Chrysopsinae.

Knowledge of the horse fly fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Lebanon is fragmentary, while the local fauna of most neighboring countries has been fairly well researched. Within the framework of the 20-year project "The ecology and zoogeography of the Lepidoptera of the Near East," we regularly collected biting flies in the whole region, including Lebanon. During this time we recorded 14 horse fly species for two subfamilies in Lebanon: four Pangoniinae and ten Chrysopsinae. Only a single species, Chrysops flavipes Meigen, 1804, was known previously in Lebanon, but the following four Pangoniinae: Pangonius haustellatus (Fabricius, 1781), Pangonius obscuratus Loew, 1859, Pangonius argentatus (Szilady, 1923), and Pangonius fulvipes (Loew, 1859) and nine Chrysopsinae: Silvius appendiculatus Macquart, 1846, Silvius ochraceus Loew, 1858, Nemorius irritans (Ricardo, 1901), Nemorius vitripennis (Meigen, 1820), Chrysops buxtoniAusten, 1922, Chrysops compactusAusten, 1924, Chrysops caecutiens (Linnaeus, 1758), Chrysops italicus Meigen, 1804, and Chrysops hamatus Loew, 1858 are new records for the Lebanese fauna. The Tabanidae fauna of Lebanon is completely Palearctic and most species are of a Mediterranean distribution type. Lebanon or nearby northern Israel appears to be in the Levant, the southern geographical distribution border for the Pangoniinae and Chrysopsinae.

An annotated checklist of the horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of the Sinai Peninsula Egypt with remarks on ecology and zoogeography.

During a 20-year survey we routinely collected Tabanidae in the Sinai resulting in a checklist of 22 species. We recorded 2 species for the Levant (Tabanus mordax Austen, 1911 and Tabanus gratus Loew, 1858), 4 species for Egypt (Nemorius irritans (Ricardo, 1901), Chrysops flavipes Meigen, 1804, Haematopota coronata Austen, 1908 and Haematopota pallens Loew, 1871), 5 species for the Sinai (Atylotus farinosus (Szilády, 1915), Tabanus arenivagusAusten, 1920, Tabanus autumnalis Linnaeus, 1761, Haematopota minusculaAusten, 1920 and Dasyrhamphis nigritus Fabricius, 1794) for the first time and confirmed one doubtful record for the Sinai (Tabanus albifacies Loew, 1856). Furthermore we collected 10 more species that were previously known or could be presumed from the Sinai. The status of 4 species (Atylotus pallescens (Walker, 1871), Tabanus unifasciatus Loew, 1858, Tabanus politus (Walker, 1871) and Tabanus terminalis Walker, 1871) doubtfully recorded from the Sinai is discussed. For most of the 22 species, apart from zoogeographical notes, host and ecological observations are also given.