Contents -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Acknowledgements -- Material and methods -- Historical review of studies of European Platypezidae and Opetiidae -- Family Opetiidae -- Diagnosis -- The fossil record -- Phylogeny -- Taxonomy -- Genus Opetia Meigen -- Family Platypezidae -- Diagnosis -- Morphology -- Male structure -- Female structure -- Larval structure -- Puparial structure -- Phylogeny -- The fossil record -- The position of Platypezidae in Muscomorpha -- Classification and phylogeny within Platypezidae -- Melanderomyiinae, subfam. n. -- Relationships between subfamilies of Platypezidae -- Phylogeny of Callomyiinae -- Phylogeny of Platypezinae -- Bionomics -- Movements on broad leaves and adult feeding activity -- Systematic list of plants of which leaves are visited by European Platypezidae -- Other non-epigamic activity -- Swarming and courtship behaviour -- Oviposition -- Seasonal occurrence -- Larval development and host fungus range -- Fungus genera in which Platypezidae are known to develop -- Parasitoids -- Zoogeography -- Taxonomy -- Generic key to known early stages of Platypezidae -- Key to subfamilies of adult Platypezidae -- Subfamily Microsaniinae -- Attraction to smoke and aerial swarming of Microsania -- Other aspects of behaviour of Microsania -- Association of Microsania with mites (Acari) -- Genus Microsania Zetterstedt -- Subfamily Callomyiinae -- Key to European genera of Callomyiinae -- Genus Platypezina Wahlgren -- Genus Agathomyia Verrall -- Genus Callomyia Meigen -- Subfamily Platypezinae -- Key to European genera of Platypezinae -- Genus Protoclythia Kessel -- Genus Seri Kessel & Kessel -- Genus Bolopus Enderlein -- Genus Polyporivora Kessel & Maggioncalda -- Genus Kesselimyia Vanhara -- Genus Platypeza Meigen -- Genus Paraplatypeza Kessel & Maggioncalda -- Genus Lindneromyia Kessel & Maggioncalda -- Catalogue.

Colour plate -- Literature -- Taxonomic index -- Biological index.