Scenopinusjerei, a new species of window fly (Diptera, Scenopinidae) from Finland.

A new species of window fly (Diptera: Scenopinidae), Scenopinusjerei sp. nov., with characteristic bicoloured legs and completely black halteres, is described from Finland. To exclude potential previously named species, a survey of the relevant type specimens as well as original descriptions of the Palearctic and Nearctic Scenopinus species has been conducted, including old Scenopinusfenestralis (Linnaeus) synonyms. Scenopinusjerei sp. nov. is likely to be an overlooked, boreal forest specialist living in the nests of cavity-nesting birds. An identification key to the European species is provided.

The description of the female of Platycheirus troll Mutin (Diptera, Syrphidae) with a preliminary key to the Northern Palaearctic females of the Platycheirus clypeatus group.

The female of Platycheirus troll Mutin is described. A preliminary key to the females of the Northern Palaearctic species of the Platycheirus clypeatus group is presented. The possibility to identify the undescribed female of Platycheirus magadanensis Mutin is discussed.

Linnaemya bergstroemi n. sp. (Diptera: Tachinidae)--a new parasitoid fly from the Finnish Lapland.

A new tachinid species, Linnaemya bergstroemi n. sp., is described from the Finnish Lapland. The new species closely resembles the Nearctic species Linnaemya anthracina Thompson, but can be readily distinguished from it by the characters described in this paper. The taxonomic placement of the two species is discussed in the light of morphological and CoI sequence similarities with Linnaemya Robineau-Desvoidy species in the subgenera Ophina Robineau-Desvoidy and Bonellimyia Townsend. Known aspects of the new species' biology and distribution are reviewed.

Checklist of the families Anisopodidae, Bibionidae, Canthyloscelididae, Mycetobiidae, Pachyneuridae and Scatopsidae (Diptera) of Finland.

A checklist of the families Anisopodidae, Bibionidae, Canthyloscelididae, Mycetobiidae, Pachyneuridae and Scatopsidae (Diptera) recorded from Finland. The Finnish species of these families were last listed in 1980. After that two species of Anisopodidae, four species of Bibionidae and six species of Scatopsidae have been added to the Finnish fauna and two species of Scatopsidae have been removed from the Finnish fauna.

Checklist of the family Syrphidae (Diptera) of Finland.

A checklist of the Syrphidae (Diptera) recorded from Finland. Three species of Syrphidae, Platycheirusmodestus Ide, 1926, Cheilosiabarovskii (Stackelberg, 1930) and Mallotatricolor Loew, 1871, are published as new to the Finnish fauna. Platycheirusmodestus is also new to the Palaearctic.

Checklist of the family Sphaeroceridae (Diptera) of Finland.

A checklist of the family Sphaeroceridae (Diptera) recorded from Finland.

Checklist of the families Scathophagidae, Fanniidae and Muscidae of Finland (Insecta, Diptera).

A revised checklist of the Scathophagidae, Fanniidae and Muscidae recorded from Finland is presented. Phaoniaamicula Villeneuve, 1922 is noted from Finland for the first time.

When mtDNA COI is misleading: congruent signal of ITS2 molecular marker and morphology for North European Melanostoma Schiner, 1860 (Diptera, Syrphidae).

The northern European taxa of genus Melanostoma Schiner, 1860 (Syrphidae, Diptera) are revised. A longstanding question concerning the number of Melanostoma taxa occurring in northern Europe prompted us to contrast and compare their morphological and molecular variability. Particular uncertainty concerned the putative existence of a sibling species of Melanostoma mellinum, and the identity of the taxon Melanostoma dubium in northern Europe due to existence of morphologically similar dark forms of M. mellinum in the northern parts of its distributional range. Partial sequences of two DNA markers, the mitochondrial protein-coding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI-3') and the nuclear second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) were analysed separately under parsimony. The obtained COI-3'gene fragment showed taxon-specific haplotypes and haplotypes that were shared among the taxa. The ITS2 sequences presented genotypes unique to each species, and congruence with our independently established taxonomic entities. Based on congruent signal of the ITS2 sequences and study of morphological characters we establish the presence of four taxa in northern Europe: Melanostoma mellium (= M. dubium nec auctt., syn. n.), M. certum sp. n. (= M. dubium auctt.), M. mellarium stat. n. (= M. mellinum auctt. partim) and M. scalare. Lectotype designations were made for Musca mellina, Syrphus mellarius and Melanostoma mellinum var. melanatus. THE FOLLOWING SYNONYMIES WERE ESTABLISHED: Melanostoma mellarium = Melanostoma melanatum syn. n.; Melanostoma mellinum = Scaeva dubia syn. n., Melanostoma tschernovi syn. n., and Melanostoma clausseni syn. n. Morphological circumscriptions of the taxa and an identification key are presented.