Pictorial Handbook on Flower Visiting Flies Diptera : Insecta of Kolkata and Surroundings
Contents: Preface. Introduction. What are the two winged flies. Study areas. Diversity of flower visiting flies and fly pollination. Family Stratiomyidae: 1. Sargus metallinus (Fabricius). 2. Oplodontha rubrithorax (Macquart). 3. Microchrysa flaviventris (Wiedemann). Family Tabanidae: 4. Chrysops dispar (Fabricius). Family Bombyliidae: 5. Petrorossia ceylonica (Brunetti). 6. Villa aureohirta (Brunetti). 7. Villa panisca (Rossi). Family Syrphidae: 8. Asarkina (Asarkina)ericetorum (Fabricius). 9. Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer). 10. Ischiodon scutellaris (Fabricius). 11. Baccha (allobaccha) ampithoe walker. 12. Paragus serratus (fabricius). 13. Eristalinus (Eristalinus) arvorum (Fabricius). 14. Eristalinus (Eristalinus) obscuritarsis (de Meijere). 15. Eristalinus (Eristalinus) quinquestriatus (Fabricius). 16. Mesembrius bengalensis (Wiedemann). 17. Mesembrius quadrivittatus (Wiedemann). 18. Syritta indica (Wiedemann). Family Tephritidae: 19. Bactrocera (Bactrocera) cucurbitae Coquillett). 20. Campiglossa cribellata Bezzii. Family Muscidae: 21. Musca (Musca) domestica linnaeus. 22. Musca (Byomya) ventrosa Wiedemann. 23. Orthellia timorensis Robineau-Desvoidy. Family Calliphoridae: 24. Lucilia porphyrina (Fabricius). 25. Stomorhina discolor (Fabricius). 26. Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann). 27. Hemipyrellia pulchra (Wiedemann). 28. Isomyia viridaurea (Wiedemann). 29. Phaenicia cuprina (Wiedemann). 30. Phaenicia sericata (Meigen). 31. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius). Family Sarcophagidae: 32. Iranihindia futilis (Senior-White). Family Tachinidae: 33. Thelaira macropus (Wiedemann). . Threats and conservation. Suggested readings. Table I--Dipteran flower visitors and their visited plant species in and around Kolkata. Table II--Plant species and dipteran their flower visitors in and around Kolkata.
From the preface: "Handbook on "Flower - visiting Diptera" is the emphasis on the association between the flies and the flowers of the trees, shrubs, herbs, gardens, and medicinal plants. The very reason of structuring this handbook is that the beginner will be able to relate the flowers and the insects together as an integral part of a given ecosystem and biodiversity strategies.
The diptera are probably the second most common order of flower--visitors and pollinators worldwide and may rival even the hymenopterans in their diversity especially in tropical countries. Today flies are being considered seriously as alternative pollinating agents of several cash crops and play a major role in maintenance of ecosystem diversity and ensuring food security."
