Fly School IV – Diptera course in Costa Rica
The fourth edition of the international Diptera course named Fly School took place from July 27 to August 9, 2026, at the Soltis Center in Alajuela province, Costa Rica, bringing together 30 participants from 15 countries and an international team of eight instructors based in four countries.
This year’s course was hosted by the Dipterists Society, an international organization dedicated to dipterology, and organized by Giar-Ann Kung, who has been involved since the first edition. Throughout the course, participants gained hands-on experience in field collecting, curation, natural history, and family-level identification, supported by lab work, lectures, and instructor guidance.
Local colleagues at the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica played a key role in planning the course and incorporating the Fly School collections. The museum also welcomed participants for a tour of its entomological collections at the end of the course. For some participants, this was their first opportunity to visit a major scientific collection.
While the course lasted two weeks, its scientific impact will extend much further. Fly School IV strengthened international and local research networks, expanded expertise in Diptera, and generated collections that can provide a foundation for studies of Costa Rica’s insect biodiversity.
(Beteiligte Personen der ZSM: Dr. Paula Riccardi, Sektionsleiterin Diptera, Telefon +49 (0) 89 8107-147
