The available keys for European Hippoboscidae are outdated and do not cover all species currently known from Europe. Therefore, identification keys to the eleven genera and 31 species of the European hippoboscids are provided here. Ornithomya comosa (Austen, 1930) (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) is recorded for the first time from the territory of Slovakia based on one female found on a sand martin, Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758). The list of keds and louse flies recorded from the territory of Slovakia is increased to 20 species. New host records for Slovakia are presented.
Tiny pieces of plastic, or microplastics, are one of the emerging pollutants in a wide range of different ecosystems. However, they have, thus far, not been confirmed from phytotelmata – specific small water-filled cavities provided by terrestrial plants. The authors confirmed microplastics (141 μm – 2.4 mm long fibres of several colour and blue and orange fragments with diameters of 9–81 μm) in quantities from 101 to 409 per ml in Dipsacus telmata from two different periods. The phytotelmata, therefore, appear to be possible indicators of current and future microplastic pollution of the environment. However, further research is needed to obtain accurate information and verify the methodology for possible assessment of the local environmental burden of microplastics.
Ptychoptera xanthopleura Dvořák, Oboňa & Manko, sp. nov. from Azerbaijan and Georgia, and Ptychoptera staryi Dvořák, Oboňa & Manko, sp. nov. from Bulgaria are described. P. xanthopleurasp. nov. differs from the other member of the lacustris group mainly by having almost completely yellow pleurae, and by the shape of the epandrium and gonocoxites. The diagnostics of P. staryisp. nov. and P. incognita Török, Kolcsár & Keresztes, 2015 based on male genitalia are provided.
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