Diversity and Bionomics of Agriculturally Important Diptera in the Afrotropical and Mediterranean Regions; Case Studies from Kenya and Türkiye

Dipterans have diverse life history strategies. Larval niches cover aquatic habitats, decaying organic matter, or living plant tissue. This creates broad variations in generation time, fecundity, and host specificity among families and species. As examined in two contrasting ecologies – Afrotropical (AFT) landscapes of Kenya and Mediterranean (MDT) landscapes of Turkiye – the agricultural relevance of Dipteran lineages is diverse; regional species assemblages harmonize with local host phenology, posing a wide range of impacts. The families Syrphidae and Tachinidae beneficially multifunction as adult pollinators, larval decomposers, and natural enemies. However, tephritid fruit flies and specialist phytophagous taxa, such as Agromyzidae, Drosophilidae, and Chloropidae, are major crop pests. Biting groups, such as stomoxyines (Muscidae), tabanids, etc., generally threaten livestock as nuisances, myiasis agents, and zoonotic pathogen vectors. A wide range of ecological impacts indirectly sustain agriculture, with nutrient recycling and biocontrol in both agricultural and conservation systems, such as fresh water and marshlands. Particular assemblages, such as wormlion flies, are rare and poorly studied. Additionally midges (Ceratopogonidae) exhibit overlooked symbiosis with microorganisms, while blow flies (Calliphoridae) exhibit cryptic community interactions with other arthropods (e.g., termites, ants, or bees). The parasitoids and specialist predatory species exhibit tight host associations, making them potential biocontrol agents. Further research should focus on overlooked and region-specific lineages, especially in AFT, to establish globally inclusive agroecological trophic management strategies.