Primary fallopian tube carcinoma presenting with a solitary metastasis in a Spigelian hernia

Primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is a rare gynaecological tumour. Histologically, this type of tumour resembles other tumours of the female reproductive tract, predominantly serous tumours. These cancers are often difficult to distinguish from ovarian cancers and are generally treated with the same standards of surgery and chemotherapy. Diagnosis of PFTC is rarely made preoperatively. Very often, the diagnosis is made either at the operating table or by the pathologist. In this report we present a rare case of PFTC with a solitary metastatic deposit in a right Spigelian hernia, the latter being the initial presenting complaint.peer-reviewe

On the occurrence of Crocidura Suaveolens Pallas (Mammalia, Insectivra) in the Maltese Islands with notes on other Maltese shrews

Crocidura suaveolens Pallas, 1811 is recorded definitely for the first time from the Maltese Islands. Previous records of this species are reviewed and are shown to refer to other species or else to be unconfirmed. Besides C. suaveolens, two other shrews inhabit the Maltese Islands. Sunclts e"ruscus (Savi) is distributed in both Malta and Gozo while both C. suaveolens Pallas and C. russula (Hermann) appear to be restricted to the island of Gozo. The latter species has not, however, been recorded in this study.peer-reviewe

A note concerning the scorpions (Arachnida : Scorpiones) of the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean)

All scorpions collected from the islands of Malta, Gozo, Camino and St. Paul's belonged to Euscorpius (s.str.) carpathicus (linnaeus, 1773) ssp. candiota Birula, 1903 as used by Kinzelbach (1975) for populations showing a complex of morphological characters intermediate between E.carpathicus carpathicus and E.mesotrichus Hadzi. Similar intermediate populations are found in several eastern Mediterranean localities (Greece, some Greek islands and Crete)" however the Maltese populations are more heterogenous than any other so far studied. The literature contains records of other species of scorpion from the Maltese Islands whereas the collections of the British Museum (Natural History), London include specimens of Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brulle) reportedly collected from Malta. These records are discussed and it is postulated that they are either errors of identification or labelling, or else represent introduced exotics now locally extinct.peer-reviewe

On the occurrence of Agama agama (L.) (Reptilia : Agamidae) in the Maltese Islands

A live female specimen of Agama agama (L.) was found amongst crates of imported beer at Marsa, Malta in October 1979. This lizard was probably transported to Malta from North Africa with cargo.peer-reviewe

Nymphalis polychlorus L. (Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae) in the Maltese Islands

BORG (1932) in his list of Maltese Lepidoptera included, among several other 'exotic' species, NymphaLis poLychLorus, the Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly. Borg's list is considered unreliable by most local entomologist's and therefore this species has up to now been unconfirmed (VALLETTA, 1972; SAMMUT, 1984).peer-reviewe

Notes on the subspecies of Ronisia barbara (Hymenoptera : Mutillidae) in the Maltese Islands

Ronisia barbara occurs as two distinct subspecies in the Maltese Islands. R. b. barbara, previously thought to occur only in Gozo and Camino, is here reported fo~ the first time from Malta where it has been found at the northern tip of Marfa Ridge. The second subspecies, R. b. brutia occurs south of this locality. Males of R. barbara identical to the subspecies R. b. torosa were observed in close prox- imity with female R. b. orutia and possibly courting them. On this and other evidence it is suggested that R. b. torosa is actually the male of R. b. brutia. The latter name has precedence.peer-reviewe

A preliminary list of the Ichneumonidae of the Maltese Islands (Hymenoptera)

The Ichneumonidae of the Maltese Islands have not been previously studied. All the species mentioned in this paper therefore, are essentially new records. AIthough no systematic faunal investigations were carried out, it was felt that publication of a preliminary list of species would be useful. The material studied here was mainly collected between the years 1974 and 1979, and in general represents species encountered more or less accidentally during the course of other entomological investigations.peer-reviewe

Notes on the Orthoptera of the Maltese Islands : the genus Myrmecophilus (Orthoptera : Gryllidae)

Two species of MyrmecophiLus have been recorded from the Maltese Islands: M. ochraceu8 and the endemic M. baronii. New distrib- ution data for both species are given. This is the first time that M. baronii has been collected again af~er its original descript- ion by Baccetti in 1967. A key to the Malteses species is included.peer-reviewe

Notes concerning the semi-terrestrial and freshwater amphipods (Crustacea : Peracarida) of the Maltese Islands

Interest in Mediterranean amphipods has been re-focused recently by the appearance of a new multi-author monograph on the group edited by Professor Sandro Ruffo (1982 and continuing) which, when complete, will replace the classic work of Chevreux & Fage (1925). In spite of this progress, however, wide areas of the Mediterranean are still almost unknown amphipodologically (Ruffo (ed.), 1982) and detailed fauna lists are wanting for many regions. For the past few years, one of us (P.I.S.) has been surveying bodies of freshwater in the Maltese Islands and samples have now been amassed from all the main fresh- and brackish water sites in the islands. Since just about every body of freshwater dries up early in the summer (and remains so for the best part of six months each year) it is interesting to see just how many amphipod species the islands' freshwaters support. Since present knowledge of Maltese semi-terrestrial amphipods is also limited they too have been included in our surveys. The following list summarizes our taxonomic (P.G.M.) and ecological (P.I.S.) knowledge of the Amphipoda from these habitats on the Maltese Islands. All material is deposited in the personal collections of P.I.S. with the exception of Allorchestes aquilinus (A. Costa) which is in the collections of P.G.M.peer-reviewe

Occurrence of Paraleucilla magna Klautau et al., 2004 (porifera : Calcarea) in Malta

The calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna, first recorded from the Mediterranean in 2001 (southern Tyrrhenian, southern Adriatic and northwest Ionian coasts of Italy), is recorded from Malta (Central Mediterranean) where it was found forming part of the fouling community on small, surface marker-buoys around a fish-farm in Marsaxlokk Bay.peer-reviewe