Preliminary studies on the fauna of snail-killing flies (Dip. Sciomyzidae) in Mazandaran Province

With about 600 species the Sciomyzidae or snail-killing flies are one of the most important families of Diptera. Larvae feeding mostly as predators or parasitioids on terrestrial and freshwater mollusks,and are considerable economic importance because of their pest status in agriculture. They are also intermediate hosts for a number of serious parasitic diseases of man-schistosomes and liver flukes. During studies on snail-killing flies fauna in Mazandaran Province (Iran) in 2008–2015, 10 species of 8 genera are found to occur in this region. TetanocerapunctifronsRondani, 1868is recorded for the first time for Iranian fauna.