The information from published research and personal observations of Ischyroptera bipilosa Pokorny, 1887 is reviewed and discussed. All known existing specimens in various entomological collections have been traced and their associated data provided. The species is redescribed and includes several newly recognised characters separating it from allied genera. Based on the literature review and the phylogenetic position of Ischyroptera bipilosa there is also a discussion concerning its habitat and ecology. This information might aid in finding existing populations of this species, leading to a better understanding of this enigmatic fly.

The averaged yearly rate of extinction of hoverfly species (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Netherlands is shown to be variable over time: over the period 1993–2017, it is nearly five times higher than over the period 1942–1992. There is a sharp demarcation between the two rates at 1992–1993. This sudden change in extinction rates is due to an accelerated extinction rate of species with zoophagous and phytophagous larvae. In species with aquatic saprophagous larvae or saproxylic larvae no rate change is observed. In contrast to hoverflies, extinction rates for bees in the Netherlands are found to be constant over time, higher than hoverflies in the first period, but lower than hoverflies in the last period. Current extinction speeds are 1.0 species a year for hoverflies (= 0.3 % of all species present per year) and 0.4 species a year for bees (= 0.12 % of all species present per year). These results differ in a major way from previous results. Consequently, from the point of view of conservation, hoverflies deserve a more prominent role in conservation policy making.

Flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are one of the most species‐rich dipteran families and provide important ecosystem services such as pollination, biological control of pests, recycling of organic matter and redistributions of essential nutrients. Flower fly adults generally feed on pollen and nectar, but their larval feeding habits are strikingly diverse. In the present study, high‐throughput sequencing was used to capture and enrich phylogenetically and evolutionary informative exonic regions. With the help of the baitfisher software, we developed a new bait kit (SYRPHIDAE1.0) to target 1945 CDS regions belonging to 1312 orthologous genes. This new bait kit was successfully used to exon capture the targeted loci in 121 flower fly species across the different subfamilies of Syrphidae. We analysed different amino acid and nucleotide data sets (1302 loci and 154 loci) with maximum likelihood and multispecies coalescent models. Our analyses yielded highly supported similar topologies, although the degree of the SRH (global stationarity, reversibility and homogeneity) conditions varied greatly between amino acid and nucleotide data sets. The sisterhood of subfamilies Pipizinae and Syrphinae is supported in all our analyses, confirming a common origin of taxa feeding on soft‐bodied arthropods. Based on our results, we define Syrphini stat.rev. to include the genera Toxomerus and Paragus . Our divergence estimate analyses with beast inferred the origin of the Syrphidae in the Lower Cretaceous (125.5–98.5 Ma) and the diversification of predatory flower flies around the K–Pg boundary (70.61–54.4 Ma), coinciding with the rise and diversification of their prey.

Pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems globally, ensuring the seed production of most flowering plants. They are threatened by global changes and knowledge of their distribution at the national and continental levels is needed to implement efficient conservation actions, but this knowledge is still fragmented and/or difficult to access. As a step forward, we provide an updated list of around 3000 European bee and hoverfly species, reflecting their current distributional status at the national level (in the form of present, absent, regionally extinct, possibly extinct or non‐native). This work was attainable by incorporating both published and unpublished data, as well as knowledge from a large set of taxonomists and ecologists in both groups. After providing the first National species lists for bees and hoverflies for many countries, we examine the current distributional patterns of these species and designate the countries with highest levels of species richness. We also show that many species are recorded in a single European country, highlighting the importance of articulating European and national conservation strategies. Finally, we discuss how the data provided here can be combined with future trait and Red List data to implement research that will further advance pollinator conservation.

We present the first multigene phylogeny focused on Eristalinae (Diptera: Syrphidae) utilizing a dataset containing 120 flower fly species from across all four subfamilies and representing 13 out of 16 tribes. Eight genes were used in the construction of the phylogeny: mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the nuclear genes 28S ribosomal DNA, Alanylt RNA Synthetase, the carbamoyl phosphate synthase domain of CAD, Period, RNA-binding Protein 15 (RBP–15, 5’), Casein Kinase 1 and TULP for a total of ~6.7 kB of data. Eristalinae is recovered as paraphyletic with strong support for the elevation of Cerioidini, Merodontini and Volucellini to subfamilial status. Deineches, Flukea and Malometasternum render Criorhinina paraphyletic with respect to the type genus Criorhina. A clade with Criorhina, Matsumyia and Sphecomyia is strongly supported. The generic concept of Criorhina is paraphyletic, while Sphecomyia is monophyletic and Matsumyia is monophyletic but requires expansion. Evidence supports the resurrection of Romaleosyrphus and the creation of new genera. Criorhinina (stat. rev.) is restricted to contain Criorhina, Matsumyia, Romaleosyrphus and Sphecomyia. Thirteen changes to the higher classification of Syrphidae are proposed.

El sírfido Parhelophilus crococoronatus Reemer, 2000 (Syrphidae: Eristalinae) estaba registrado de Francia y Portugal. En este trabajo, se documenta, por primera vez, de España. En la provincia de Murcia, el hábitat donde esta especie se ha capturado es el Embalse de la Risca, constituido por valles forestales arbolados recientemente inundados, con matorrales en descomposición y árboles muertos, donde viven las larvas acuáticas de Parhelophilus. Este hábitat ha desaparecido por inundación, por lo que la presencia actual en esta ubicación de P. crococoronatus requiere de confirmación. En la provincia de Granada, P. crococoronatus se recolectó en un humedal natural dominado por Phragmites, mientras que, en Huelva, fue recolectado en un área de marismas con árboles y vegetación baja. Los presentes hallazgos muestran que, aunque el hábitat de P. crococoronatus haya desaparecido en Murcia, la especie está más extendida en España. Se proporcionan registros adicionales de Parhelophilus versicolor (Fabricius, 1794) y Parhelophilus frutetorum (Fabricius, 1775).

In connection with the 10th International Symposium on Syrphidae in Lesbos, a pre- and post Symposium collecting expedition was held on the island of Samos, Greece in September 2019. In total 62 species were collected of which 19 are new species to the island of Samos. Moreover Ischiodon aegyptius and Paragus compeditus are new to Greece. The genera Eumerus and Merodon are well investigated in the SE Mediterranean area, and especially the Greek islands. The discovery of respectively five and two new species for Samos during this very short visit shows that with more effort many new species for the fauna of this island are to be expected.

The 34 species of Australian Psilota are revised, with 26 new species described (Psilota aislinnae Young sp. nov., Psilota alexanderi Young sp. nov., Psilota apiformis Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota auripila Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota azurea Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota bicolor Young and Ferguson sp. nov., Psilota brunnipennis Young sp. nov., Psilota calva Young sp. nov., Psilota darwini Young sp. nov., Psilota flavoorta Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota fuscifrons Young sp. nov., Psilota livida Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota longipila Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota mcqueeni Young sp. nov., Psilota metallica Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota nigripila Young sp. nov., Psilota occidua Young sp. nov., Psilota pollinosa Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota purpurea Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota smaragdina Young sp. nov., Psilota solata Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota spathistyla Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota spinifemur Young sp. nov., Psilota viridescens Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota xanthostoma Young sp. nov., Psilota zophos Young sp. nov.) and one new record for Australia (Psilota basalis Walker, 1858). Previously described Australian species are redescribed, with the males of Psilota auricauda Curran, 1925 and P. basalis (Walker, 1858) described for the first time. Six previously described species (Psilota erythrogaster Curran, 1926, Psilota hirta Klocker, 1924, Psilota queenslandica Klocker, 1924, Psilota rubra Klocker, 1924, Psilota rubriventris Bigot, 1885, and Psilota shannoni Goot, 1964) are morphologically indistinguishable from related species. P. erythrogaster, P. rubra, and P. rubriventris are therefore treated under the Psilota cuprea (Macquart, 1850) species complex while P. hirta, P. queenslandica, and P. shannoni treated under the Psilota tristis Klocker, 1924 species complex. Lectotypes for the following species are designated: Coiloprosopa nitida Macquart, 1850, Merodon muscaeformis Walker, 1852, Orthonevra basalis Walker, 1858, Psilota coerulea Macquart, 1846, and Psilota viridis Macquart, 1847.

Recently, reports of insect declines prompted concerns with respect to the state of insects at a global level. Here, we present the results of longer‐term insect monitoring from two locations in the Netherlands: nature development area De Kaaistoep and nature reserves near Wijster. Based on data from insects attracted to light in De Kaaistoep, macro‐moths (macro‐Lepidoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) have declined in the mean number of individuals counted per evening over the period of 1997–2017, with annual rates of decline of 3.8, 5.0 and 9.2%, respectively. Other orders appeared stable [true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera and Auchenorrhyncha) and mayflies (Ephemeroptera)] or had uncertainty in their trend estimate [lacewings (Neuroptera)]. Based on 48 pitfall traps near Wijster, ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) showed a mean annual decline of 4.3% in total numbers over the period of 1985–2016. Nonetheless, declines appeared stronger after 1995. For macro‐moths, the mean of the trends of individual species was comparable to the annual trend in total numbers. Trends of individual ground beetle species, however, suggest that abundant species performed worse than rare ones. When translated into biomass estimates, our calculations suggest a reduction in total biomass of approximately 61% for macro‐moths as a group and at least 42% for ground beetles, by extrapolation over a period of 27 years. Heavier ground beetles and macro‐moths did not decline more strongly than lighter species, suggesting that heavy species did not contribute disproportionately to biomass decline. Our results broadly echo recent reported trends in insect biomass in Germany and elsewhere.

Changes in ranges of hoverflies in the Netherlands in the 20th century (Diptera: Syrphidae) In July 2001 the database of the Netherlands Syrphidae Recording Scheme contained approximately 200 000 records of Syrphidae. This database was used to examine changes in the hoverfly fauna of the Netherlands during the 20th century. The dataset was divided into two parts, before and since 1988, containing equal numbers of records. This revealed that there is a significant increase in the distribution of hoverfly species with saproxylic larvae. Probably this is a consequence of the changes in woodland management that have taken place in the past 20 years. Another result of the trend analysis is the conclusion that there is a high proportion of southern species among the increased species. A likely explanation for this is the change in climate in the past 20 years. Of a total number of 317 species, 29% increased, 40% remained stable and 31% has decreased. Eight species have increased strongly and 22 species show a strong decline. The causes of the strong trends are often unclear, but seem to be very different from species to species.

Interesting new records of hoverflies in TheNetherlands (Diptera: Syrphidae) The preliminary distribution atlas of the Dutch hoverflies (NJN 1998) marked the start of the Syrphidae recording scheme (1998-2002). This publication has proven to be a major stimulus for the study of this interesting group of flies. Many interesting new data from field and collection work have become known since 1998. In this paper a selection of published and unpublished records is summarized. At the end of the project all available knowledge on Dutch hoverflies will be compiled in the Dutch Syrphidae atlas.