A review is presented discussing the evolution, life cycle, taxonomy, diversity and malacophagous predation and parasitism of the marsh flies. It focuses on the effects of the Sciomyzidae as natural biological control agents in the dynamics of terrestrial Gastropoda population. Marsh flies are shown to meet the requirements of a successful biological control agent. It is concluded that these dipterans are significant factors in gastropod population dynamics and provide pest suppression without adverse effects on native nontarget species.

Pseudodiplectanum megacirrus n.sp. Two new monogenean species have been studied: Pseudodiplectanum megacirrus n.sp. and P. spinosum n.sp., branchial parasites of Galeoides decadactylus (Bloch, 1795)(Teleostei, Polynemidae) from the coasts of Gabon. P.megacirrus is characterized by the large size of its cirrus and P. spinosum has an haptoral peduncle armed with strong spines.Comparison of these species with those already described allows a more precise definition of the genus.

The biology of snail-killing flies (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) has been studied intensively over the past half-century, especially over the past decade. Today, sciomyzids are biologically the best-known group of higher Diptera. The overarching research objectives are evaluation of sciomyzids as biocontrols of disease-carrying or agriculturally important snails and slugs and as a paradigm group for the study of the evolution of diverse feeding and associated behaviors in flies. We present reviews and analyses of some key features of particular scientific and societal interest, including behavioral and phenological groups; laboratory experimental studies on behavior and development; population biology, bioindicators, ecosystem service provision, and conservation; phylogenetics, molecular studies, and evolutionary biology; and biocontrol.

Sciomyzid flies, which have potential as bio-indicators, were sampled by sweep-net surveys at a turlough in the west of Ireland. Turloughs are ephemeral wetlands (unique to Ireland), which flood from groundwater in winter and empty in the summer, during that time, they are frequently grazed.The weekly survey consisted of ten linear sweeps (5 m 9 1 m) in each of six homogeneous and contiguous vegetation zones throughout the summer of 2004. The fauna was dominated by univoltine species with Ilione albiseta being particularly abundant, though species displaying a range of phenologies and life histories were also present. Species richness and total abundance were significantly higher in the two zones with the highest hydroperiods. Mantel tests showed that the species matrix was significantly co-structured with permanent features of the physical environment, but not with stochastic sampling variables related to weather conditions. Mantel correllograms displayed typical patterns of autocorrelation for hydroperiod, soil moisture and soil pH in each zone and vegetation height, vegetation length and Ellenberg moisture index (weighted for vegetation composition) in each sweep-path. No patterns of autocorrelation were evident for distance among zones, area of patch of vegetation zone sampled, area of the vegetation zone on the whole turlough, soil mass-loss-on-ignition and Ellenberg N and reaction indices. These results provide strong evidence for high microhabitat specificity in Sciomyzidae at this site and indicate a major influence of vegetation structure and hydrological regime on their ecology.