Microstylum vespertilio Engel, 1932 is redescribed from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and transferred to Daspletis Loew, 1858, a genus closely related to Microstylum Macquart, 1838, that now incorporates eight southern African species. Knowledge of the species is updated and a new identification key is provided.

Twelve species of the Spartaeinae from Africa are considered. Previously unknown sexes are described for three species: Cyrba nigrimana Simon, 1900 (male); Meleon raharizonina Logunov & Azarkina, 2007 (female); and Meleon russata (Simon, 1900) (male). Three species, Cyrba lineata Wanless, 1984, Meleon madagascarensis (Wanless, 1978) and M. guineensis (Berland & Millot, 1941), are redescribed and illustrated on the basis of the type and newly collected specimens. New faunistic records are provided for seven species: Cyrba lineata Wanless, 1984 (South Africa); C. nigrimana Simon, 1900 (South Africa); C. simoni Wijesinghe, 1993 (Burundi); Holcolaetis zuluensis Lawrence, 1937 (South Africa); Meleon guineensis (Berland & Millot, 1941) (Congo); Portia africana (Simon, 1885) (Ivory Coast and Ghana); and P. schultzi Karsch, 1878 (Madagascar). One species, Meleon sp. (female from Uganda), remains undetermined.

Five new species of the endemic giant pill-millipede genus Zoosphaerium from Madagascar are described: Z. muscorum sp. n., Z. bambusoides sp. n., Z. tigrioculatum sp. n., Z. darthvaderi sp. n., and Z. heleios sp. n. The first three species fit into the Z. coquerelianum species-group, where Z. tigrioculatum seems to be closely related to Z. isalo Wesener, 2009 and Z. bilobum Wesener, 2009. Z. tigrioculatum is also the giant pill-millipede species currently known from the highest elevation, up 2000 m on Mt Andringitra. Z. muscorum and Z. darthvaderi were both collected in mossy forest at over 1000 m (albeit at distant localities), obviously a previously undersampled ecosystem. Z. darthvaderi and Z. heleios both possess very unusual characters, not permitting their placement in any existing species-group, putting them in an isolated position. The females of Z. xerophilum Wesener, 2009 and Z. pseudoplatylabum Wesener, 2009 are described for the first time, both from samples collected close to their type localities. The vulva and washboard of Z. pseudoplatylabum fit very well into the Z. platylabum species-group. Additional locality and specimen information is given for nine species of Zoosphaerium: Z. neptunus (Butler, 1872); Z. villosum Wesener & Sierwald, 2005; Z. amabile Wesener, 2009; Z. tampolo Wesener, 2009; Z. smaragdinum Wesener, 2009; Z. viridissimum, Wesener, 2009; Z. pseudopiligerum Wesener, 2009; and Z. analavelona Wesener, 2009.

Natalina sensu lato includes some of the largest carnivorous snails in the world and represents an important African radiation of the Gondwanan land snail family Rhytididae. It comprises the taxa Natalina, Afrorhytida and Capitina, all three of which we treat as full genera. We provide a comprehensive revision of each genus, and update the species-level taxonomy extensively in the light of new molecular and morphological data. Detailed comparative morphological observations are provided for the distal reproductive tract (including spermatophores for the first time in this family), pulmonary cavity, mantle edge, radula and suprapedal gland. In addition, we present a summary of biological and ecological data including information on habitat preferences, feeding, prey and mating behaviour. Although the genera are well circumscribed in terms of both morphological and molecular data, morphology is usually highly conserved within genera. Yet surprising cryptic diversity is evident within the described species and restricted-range endemism is more frequent than was previously thought, with significant implications for conservation. The widespread common cannibal snail, Natalina cafra (Ferussac, 1821), is shown to comprise four cryptic, allopatric lineages. For the most part, we recognise this cryptic diversity at the level of subspecies. In some cases where populations from disjunct, lime-rich habitats exhibit a significantly different shell morphology, it is difficult to evaluate whether and to what extent this is genetically or environmentally determined. Spermatophores exhibit considerable phylogenetically consistent morphological variation and may eventually prove to be an important source of new taxonomic characters. The geographic distributions of the respective lineages are interpreted in the light of phylogenetic data, current regional vegetation patterns, and historical environmental phenomena, so as to identify biogeographic trends. Some lineages are clearly forest-associated specialists and have fragmented, narrowly-endemic distributions resulting from cyclical changes in forest cover during the Plio-Pleistocene, but there is also strong evidence for regional endemism associated with other vegetation types, notably Albany Thicket. Observations on the conservation status of all taxa are provided. New subgenus: Natalina (Tongalina). New species: Afrorhytida burseyae, Capitina calcicola. New subspecies: Afrorhytida kraussi oraria, Natalina cafra amathole, Natalina cafra natalensis, Natalina quekettiana dracomontana, Natalina quekettiana lucaris, Natalina quekettiana montistempli. New synonyms: Natalina compacta Connolly, 1939 = Natalina cafra cafra (Ferussac, 1821); Natalina coerneyensis Melvill & Ponsonby, 1894 and Natalina insignis Melvill & Ponsonby, 1907 = Afrorhytida knysnaensis (Pfeiffer, 1846); Natalina liliacea Preston, 1912 = Afrorhytida kraussi kraussi (Pfeiffer, 1846); Natalina arguta Melvill & Ponsonby, 1907 = Afrorhytida trimeni Melvill & Ponsonby, 1892. Revised status: Helix (Aerope) eumacta Melvill & Ponsonby, 1892 is considered a subspecies of Natalina cafra (Ferussac, 1821). Lectotypes designated for Aerope beyrichi Martens, 1890 [= Natalina] and Helix schärfiae Pfeiffer, 1861 [= Capitina schaerfiae].

The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is one-year world-wide celebration of biological diversity and its importance for life on Earth. While biodiversity is frequently spoken about in the context of its conservation, no one would argue that protection of biodiversity relies strongly on knowledge of what we must conserve. Nonetheless, traditional taxonomy has often been marginalised among biological sciences by policy- and decision-makers, and left for old-fashioned museum eccentrics. Moreover, few high-profile scholarly journals these days accept long taxonomic revisions unless based on 'cutting edge' DNA sequencing or/and computer-generated phylogenetic trees. African Invertebrates, a journal of biodiversity research published by the Council of the Natal Museum, continues to contribute its mite to rejoice taxonomy and to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity with a selection of research articles on molluscs, millipedes, spiders and insects. The highlight of the current issue is a major revision of southern African cannibal snails by D.G. Herbert and A. Moussalli. Their 132-page, generously illustrated and meticulously referenced article presents the most comrehensive account of morphology, biology and taxonomy of the rhytidid genera Natalina, Afrorhytida and Capitina. The assessment of conservation status of each species and a profound biogeographic analysis of their distribution enhance the theoretical and practical value of the paper, which should difinitely receive a close attention of ecologists and conservation specialists. The article offers a perfect example of how taxonomic papers should be written. A contribution by T. Wesener, I. Bespalova and P. Sierwald is focussed on the discovery of new species of giant pill-millipedes of the genus Zoosphaerium from Madagascar, a well-known biodiversity hotspot. Apart from being spectacular creatures, the giant pillmillipedes are often microendemics of undisturbed habitats and totally absent from anthropogenic landscapes. G.N. Azarkina and D.V. Logunov present new records of spartaeine jumping spiders from the Afrotropical region and describe hitherto unknown sexes of three species. A review of the robber fly genus Daspletis by J.G.H. Londt has been prompted by a re-discovery of a remarkable species from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, but also provides new records of Daspletis from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, as well as an updated identification key to all eight species in the genus. A short contribution by C.K. Oppong and co-authors deals with behavioural aspects of the biology of the mopane psyllid Retroacizzia mopani studied in the Limpopo Province. The last research paper in the issue by I. Shamshev and P. Grootaert adds two new species to the dipteran genus Tachydromia (Hybotidae), one from Ethiopia and one from Uganda, and demonstrates a wider distribution of Tachydromia in the Afrotropics. The issue is finished off with very appropriate comments by K. Williams on the importance of museum collections, with a particular reference to the Durban Natural Science Museum. I sincerely hope that the global biodiversity will not be neglected after 2010, and African Invertebrates will continue to play its important role in publisizing results of taxonomic endeavours in the Afrotropics.

In revising the taxonomy of Acnephalum Macquart, 1838 it was discovered that the Afrotropical species are not congeneric when compared with the Palaearctic type species (A. olivierii Macquart, 1838 from Greece), which is congeneric with species of Pycnopogon Loew, 1847. As a consequence all Palaearctic Pycnopogon species are transferred to Acnephalum which takes precedence over Pycnopogon. In addition it was found that Sporadothrix Hermann, 1907, a genus previously synonymised with Acnephalum, is worthy of full generic reinstatement. The new genus Acnephalomyia is provided for Afrotropical species previously assigned to Acnephalum. The following taxonomic adjustments, innovations and decisions are introduced in this paper: New combinations: Species transferred from Pycnopogon - Acnephalum apicalis (Matsumura, 1916), Acnephalum apiformis (Macquart, 1849), Acnephalum denudatus (Séguy, 1949), Acnephalum fasciculatus (Loew, 1847), Acnephalum hirsutus (Becker, 1913), Acnephalum laniger (Dufour, 1833), Acnephalum leucostomus (Engel, 1939), Acnephalum melanostomus (Loew, 1874), Acnephalum mixtus (Loew, 1847), Acnephalum nikkoensis (Matsumura, 1916), Acnephalum pallidipennis (Brullé, 1936). Species transferred from Acnephalum - Acnephalomyia andrenoides (Wiedemann, 1828); Acnephalomyia dorsalis (Macquart, 1838); Acnephalomyia platygaster (Loew, 1858); Afroholopogon futilis (Wulp, 1899). New synonyms: Dasypogon quadratus Wiedemann, 1828, Acnephalum punctipennis Macquart, 1855, Acnephalum cockerelli Curran, 1934 and Sisyrnodytes sericeus Oldroyd, 1974 = Acnephalomyia andrenoides (Wiedemann, 1828); Acnephalum cylindricum Oldroyd, 1974 = Sporadothrix gracilis Hermann, 1907. New genera: Acnephalomyia (Type species: Dasypogon andrenoides Wiedemann, 1828), Astiptomyia (Type species: Astiptomyia bikos sp. n.). New species: Acnephalomyia eremia (Namibia), Acnephalomyia iota (Namibia, South Africa), Acnephalomyia leukoros (South Africa), Acnephalomyia probolos (South Africa), Ammodaimon platythrix (Namibia), Astiptomyia bikos (Namibia). Lectotype designations: Dasypogon andrenoides Wiedemann, 1828; Acnephalum dorsale Macquart, 1838; Acnephalum futile Wulp, 1899. Keys, tables and illustrations are provided for Afrotropical taxa as identification aids while distribution maps are included where appropriate.

The taxonomy of the western Malagasy stingless bees (Liotrigona spp.) has been complicated by the high degree of morphological similarity between the described species. This group includes one of the smallest bee species of the world, Liotrigona bitika (Brooks & Michener, 1988). However, the description of this species is solely based on size differences, and observation of individuals intermediate in size between Liotrigona bitika and Liotrigona madecassa (Saussure, 1890) have cast doubt on the distinctness of the former taxon. I examined specimens, collected in the dry deciduous forest of Kirindy, representing all three of the described Liotrigona species of western Madagascar using a combined approach of size measures and DNA sequence analysis of the cytochrome oxidase I barcoding region. The analysis revealed all described taxa to be valid and furthermore uncovered the existence of a fourth taxon, described as Liotrigona kinzelbachi sp. n. The sympatric species exhibit non-overlapping body size ranges, indicating a strong influence of body size in niche differentiation of this otherwise morphological highly similar clade.

The genus Aphasmaphleps Grichanov, gen. n. is described from Senegal to accommodate a new species, A. bandia sp. n. The new genus has been placed in the subfamily Diaphorinae and is considered close to the genus Phasmaphleps Bickel, 2005. A key to Afrotropical diaphorine genera of long-legged flies is compiled, and characters of the new genus are discussed.

Moegistorhynchus longirostris Wiedemann, 1819 has the longest proboscis relative to body size of all known insects. It is a keystone species along the west coast of South Africa, where it pollinates, partly or exclusively, the long-tubed flowers of at least 20 species of Iridaceae, Geraniaceae and Orchidaceae. M. longirostris has been widely discussed in the pollination biology literature and has a suggested coevolutionary arms race between it and the long-tubed flowers it pollinates. A current taxonomic revision has presented new biogeographical and morphometric data. Available records suggest that the species is widely distributed along the west coast of South Africa between about 29º30'S and 34º15'S, a distance of almost 500 km. It is restricted to sandy, lowland coastal plains at less than 300 m, where it occurs in nine different vegetation types across seven bioregions and is consequently not a habitat specialist. Proboscis length from 13 localities ranged from 32 to 83 mm, and mean proboscis length at these localities from 32 to 71 mm. There was a decline in proboscis length with increasing latitude south. Research investigating a possible allometric relationship between body size and proboscis length, and between latitude and proboscis length, is required.

The millipede genus Zinophora (Chamberlin, 1927) was previously revised based on the species present south of the Zambezi and Kunene Rivers. Since that revision, two additional new species have been discovered and are here described: Zinophora lobata (Mozambique) and Z. taromberai (Zimbabwe and Tanzania). This brings the total number of described species in the genus to 21. An updated key to species in the genus is presented. Detailed illustrations of the gonopods supplement the descriptions and a distribution map of Z. taromberai in Zimbabwe is provided. There appear to be up to three species groups in the genus and the character states defining these groups are discussed.