Foreword (Quentin D. Wheeler) -- Contributors -- Section I: Regional Diversity of Diptera -- Chapter One. Nearctic Diptera: Twenty Years Later (F. Christian Thompson) -- Introduction -- Past -- Fauna -- Resources -- Research Program -- Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Two. Hawaii's Dipt era Biodiversity (Neal L. Evenhuis) -- Introduction -- Part 1. Biogeography and Diversity of the Hawaiian Diptera Fauna -- Background -- Origin of the Hawaiian Fauna -- Diversity of the Hawaiian Diptera Fauna -- Biogeographic Affinities of the Hawaiian Diptera Fauna -- Threats to the Fauna -- Part 2. History and Future of Hawaiian Dipterology -- History of Collections -- Collecting Methods -- Inventorying the Data -- Future of Hawaiian Diptera Biodiversity -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Three. Neotropical Diptera Diversity: Richness, Patterns, and Perspectives (Dalton de Souza Amorim) -- Introduction -- Neotropical Region: Delimitation and Complexity -- Neotropical Diptera Richness -- Diptera Families Absent from or Poorly Represented in the Neotropical Region -- Endemic or Near-Endemic Families in the Neotropics -- Fossil Dipterans in the Neotropics -- Biogeographic Patterns in Neotropical Tropical Forests -- Highly Diverse Areas in the Neotropical Region -- Perspectives and Needs -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Four. Dipteran Biodiversity of the Galápagos (Bradley J. Sinclair) -- Introduction -- Part 1. Biogeography and Diversity of the Galápagos Diptera Fauna -- Physical Environment -- Origin of the Galápagos Fauna -- Diversity of the Galápagos Diptera Fauna -- Biogeographic Affinities of the Galápagos Diptera Fauna -- Threats to the Fauna -- Part 2. History and Future of Galápagos Dipterology -- History of Collections -- Collecting Methods -- Inventorying the Data.

Future of Dipteran Biodiversity of the Galápagos -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Five. Palaearctic Diptera - from Tundra to Desert (Thomas Pape) -- Introduction -- Geology and Biogeography -- Taxonomic History -- Total Estimated Fauna -- Special Features of the Fauna -- Collecting Palaearctic Diptera -- Means of Identification -- Recent Bioinformatics Initiatives -- Conservation -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Six. Afrotropical Diptera - Rich Savannas, Poor Rainforests (Ashley H. Kirk-Spriggs & Brian R. Stuckenberg) -- Introduction -- Extent of the Afrotropical Region -- South African Complexities -- Rostrum Elongation as a Notable Adaptation in the Diptera of the Cape Flora -- Namibia: Deserts and Arid Savannas -- The Rainforests -- Afromontane Biome -- Arid Coasts -- Savanna -- Madagascar -- Afrotropical Faunistics -- Estimate of Total Afrotropical Diptera Fauna -- Comparison to Other Zoogeographic Regions -- Endemic Afrotropical Families -- Some Absent Families -- Largest Afrotropical Families -- Least Known Families in the Afrotropics -- Notable Taxonomic Growth -- Best Known and Collected Countries -- Possible Gondwanan Elements in the Afrotropical Diptera -- Innovations in the Bioinventory of Africa's Diptera -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Seven. Oriental Diptera, a Challenge in Diversity and Taxonomy (Patrick Grootaert) -- Introduction -- Boundaries and a Few Definitions -- Origin of the Oriental Region -- Biomes -- History of Taxonomy in the Region -- Diversity and the Number of Species per Family -- Diversity and the Poor Sampling Effort: A Case Study of Elaphropeza (Empidoidea, Hybotidae) -- Hotspots -- Regional Diversity and Endemics -- Southeast Asia -- Biogeographical Patterns -- Circumtropical Species -- Disjunctive Distributions and Glaciations.

Mangroves, an Underestimated Source of Biodiversity -- General Conclusions and Challenges -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Eight. Diversity, Relationships and Biogeography of Australian Flies (David K. Yeates, Daniel Bickel, David K. McAlpine & Don H. Colless) -- Introduction -- The Australian Continent -- The Australian Fauna -- Total Estimated Fauna -- Special Features of the Fauna -- Biogeography -- Affinities and History of the Australian Diptera -- Ecological Biogeography of the Australian Fauna -- Ecological and Economic Importance -- Morphology and Behaviour -- Future Directions -- References -- Chapter Nine. Biogeography of Diptera in the Southwest Pacific (Daniel Bickel) -- Introduction -- General Regional Considerations -- Specific Regions -- Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Section II : Diptera Biodiversity: Case Studies, Ecological Approaches and Estimation -- Chapter Ten. Why Hilara is not Amusing: the Problem of Open-Ended Taxa and the Limits of Taxonomic Knowledge (Daniel Bickel) -- Introduction -- Examples of Open-Ended Taxa in the Diptera -- Discussion -- Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Eleven. Diptera as Ecological Indicators of Habitat and Habitat Change (Marc Pollet) -- Introduction -- Criteria -- Taxonomic Criteria -- Biogeographic Criteria -- Biological Criteria -- Logistic Criteria -- Sensitivity to Environmental Alterations -- How to Use Ecological Indicators in Nature Conservation? -- Discussion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter Twelve. Biodiversity Research Based on Taxonomic Revisions - A Tale of Unrealized Opportunities (Torsten Dikow, Rudolf Meier, Gaurav G. Vaidya & Jason G. H. Londt) -- Introduction -- Taxonomic Revisions: How Much Information is Available? -- Use of Specimen Data for Comparing the Biodiversity of ConservationAreas.

Use of Specimen Data for Proposing Red Lists -- Use of Specimen Data for Estimating Clade Species Richness -- Use of Specimen Data: The Numerous Problems -- Summary and Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Section III : Bioinformatics and Dipteran Diversity -- Chapter Thirteen. DNA Barcoding and DNA Taxonomy in Diptera: An Assessment based on 4,261 COI S equences for 1,001 Species (Rudolf Meier & Guanyang Zhang) -- Introduction -- History: DNA Sequences in Diptera -- DNA Barcoding -- DNA Taxonomy -- Cost of a Molecular Taxonomy for Diptera -- The Need for an Integrative Taxonomy -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter Fourteen. Diptera Biodiversity Informatics (Shaun L. Winterton) -- Introduction -- Databases: The Foundation of Informatics -- Digital Taxonomy -- Character Data and Matrices: Interactive Identification Tools -- Data Analyses -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter Fifteen. Meeting the Interrelated Challenges of Tracking Specimen, Nomenclature, and Literature Data in Mandala (Gail E. Kampmeier & Michael E. Irwin) -- Preface -- Introduction -- Getting Started with Mandala -- Enter Specimen Information -- Interpret and Standardize Locality and Collecting Event Data -- Trace Nomenclatural History -- Track Loans -- Illustrations -- Record & Dissect Taxonomic Literature -- Querying Mandala -- Special Features -- Future Plans for Mandala -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Appendix -- Alphabetical Listing of Tables & their Purpose in Mandala -- Appendix. Species of Diptera per family for all regions -- Index.