Diptera Carnoidea of the Maltese Islands

An account is given of the families in the Carnoidea (Diptera: Schizophora) that have not been recorded previously from Malta. These are Braulidae, one species, Canacidae, one species, Carnidae, two species and Milichiidae, seven species.peer-reviewe

The Craneflies (Diptera, Tipulidae and Limoniidae) and Winter Gnats (Diptera, Trichoceridae) of Malta

The literature pertaining to the dipteran families Tipulidae, Limoniidae and Trichoceridae of Malta is reviewed. New material has been studied and as a result, 11 new records are added for the islands. The family Trichoceridae is also recorded for the first time.peer-reviewe

A short note on additional records of fruitfly (Diptera, Drosophilidae) from Malta

The fruitflies of the family Drosophilidae that occur in the Maltese Islands were studied by Ebejer. Thirteen species were recorded including the common species Zaprionus tuberculatus Malloch, 1932, which is predominantly associated with fallen and decaying citrus fruits. Subsequently, two records appeared in the literature.peer-reviewe

The picture-winged flies and related families (Diptera, Tephritoidea) of the Maltese Islands

An account of the Tephritoidea of the Maltese Islands is presented, based on a review of the literature and an examination of new material. The nomenclature of older records is updated. The family Lonchaeidae is represented by only three species, one is a new record, the Piophilidae by a single species, the Tephritidae by 27 species, three of these are new records, and the Ulidiidae by four species, two of which are new records. Pallopteridae, Platystomatidae and Pyrgotidae have never been recorded from Malta.peer-reviewe

The familes Lonchopteridae, Opetiidae and Pipunculidae of Malta (Diptera, Aschiza)

An account is given of the three Aschiza families of Diptera: one species of Lonchopteridae, one species of Opetiidae and four species of Pipunculidae that occur in Malta and which are all new records for this countrypeer-reviewe

The air we breathe

Air pollution has been associated with respiratory ill health for centuries and in recent years much research effort has gone into quantifying the risks and elucidating the mechanisms. Respiratory disease, mostly of the airways is second only by a narrow margin, to cardiovascular disease as the commonest reason for admission to hospital. In this article the author describes the health risks associated with air pollution specifically with asthma as being the commonest respiratory disease in Malta.peer-reviewe

A note on some Rhinophoridae from the Mediterranean Region (Diptera)

New records of Rhinophoridae are given for Cyprus, Gibraltar, Malta and Tunisia. Previous knowledge of this family from these countries was more limited. Some faunistic comparisons are made between the Rhinophoridae occurring in these countries and the Balearicspeer-reviewe

Tuberculosis in Malta in the 21st century

The World Health Organisation dedicated the 24th of March 1996 as World TB Day in a bid to promote its publicity campaign aimed at increasing awareness of the deteriorating situation as regards the treatment and control of tuberculosis. Today’s world population is about 5,700 million and TB is by far the major cause of death from infectious disease in persons over five years old. WHO estimates that one third of the world’s population, that is, about 1,900 million are already infected and we know that approximately 10% of these will develop the disease. The real concern, however, is that current drugs may become useless. Indeed, it is estimated that more than 50 million people are infected with drug-resistant strains. On a global scale, the main cause of drug resistance is poorly managed TB control programs.peer-reviewe

Age-related changes in the respiratory system

This article summarises the main structural and physiological changes which take place in the lung from young adulthood to senescence. An understanding of these changes helps the clinician to correctly interpret some results of radiology and pulmonary function frequently seen in clinical practice. An appreciation of the altered physiology and the consequent reduction in pulmonary reserve should alert the physician to the need for a more critical evaluation of the various respiratory parameters measured during illness in an older patient. Rhythmic breathing occurs virtually continuously over a lifetime and the alveolar gas-exchanging surface is brought into contact with more than 270 million litres of air, which may contain harmful particulate matter and noxious gas elements. Thus to separate changes in the respiratory system caused by ageing itself from those caused by environmental or work-related factors is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is possibly the most important disease entity related to age and environment. Epidemiological studies show that the prevalence of COPD is increasing. In the 1990’s prognostic models of COPD were developed. These have shown that age, ventilatory function, gender and smoking were the major determinants for the development of COPD. Other important factors were outdoor air pollution and occupation.peer-reviewe

Notes and new records of the larger Brachycera (Diptera) of Malta

The list of species of the larger Brachycera known from Malta is updated according to current classification and nomenclature. All species, including new records, are included except for the Bombyliidae previously recorded by the present author. Here are listed 7 spp of Stratiomyidae, 1 of Vermileonidae, 1 of Rhagionidae, 3 of Tabanidae, 3 of Therevidae, 7 of Asilidae, 6 of Bombyliidae and 2 each of Scenopinidae and Acroceridae. For species recorded here for the first time, all data are given. Each Family is followed by comments on what is known about it locally.peer-reviewe