Dipterists Forum is sorry to have to pass on the sad news that on Thursday 23 April 2026 Peter Chandler died after a fall at his home in Melksham, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.
Peter was recognised as a leading international authority on families of flies associated with fungi, including Platypezidae, Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae and to a lesser extent Sciaridae. He was also an outstanding all-round dipterist who researched and published on many families from Britain and around the world. He made a huge contribution to Dipterists Forum since its inception in many ways, as Editor of Dipterists Digest, in running the Recording Schemes for Platypezidae and Fungus Gnats, as well as leading workshops and participating in field meetings.
This is not the place to reflect on his many accomplishments and contributions to dipterology over the past 60 years, but it is appropriate to pay tribute to his kindness, his help and mentoring for so many dipterists, as well as his modesty and dry sense of humour. He was a remarkable man and we will miss him greatly.
Dr Ian F.G. McLean on behalf of Dipterists Forum