Vesela Todorova The National 28 Sep 11;
FUJAIRAH // Scientists have discovered 25 new species of animals in a protected area of Fujairah's Hajar Mountains.
They are among 55 species that have until recently never before been seen in the Wadi Wuraya area.
Among the newcomers are the tiny, long-legged ant Lepisiota elegantissima, and a beetle, Sphenoptera vanharteni, which feeds on rotting vegetation.
The ant, which measures a mere 2mm, was discovered in one of the scores of branches of Wadi Wuraya.
"The ant has very long legs and I suspect it must be very agile and a high-speed runner at the scale of an ant," says Christophe Tourenq, the senior conservation manager at Emirates Wildlife Society - World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF).
"These are new species and scientists are still to learn about their lifestyle and habits. So far we are in the phase of trying to finish the description of biodiversity in the wadi but it is a never-ending story.
"Hopefully once we are done with this we can invite specialists to study in detail the new creatures. The more we know about them the better we can preserve them."
EWS-WWF collaborated with Fujairah Municipality in mapping the wadi's biodiversity.
Research there has been going on since 2006 and was managed by the Dutch scientist Antonius van Harten.
Mr van Harten's findings have been published in a four-book series, Arthropod Fauna of the UAE, summarising his discoveries in Wadi Wuraya and other parts of the country.
More than 250 specialists worldwide assisted him with the description and classification of the finds.
Mr Tourenq says while the new species are so tiny they are only likely to be noticed by experts, the discoveries are very significant.
"These creatures are part of the web of life," he says. "This beetle might be insignificant for you but it main be a main source of food for a bird species or the main predator of certain parasites. All species are connected."
The new species also include several beetles, spiders and terrestrial crustaceans.
Among those previously only found in other regions is Gallagher's leaf-toed gecko, or Asaccus gallagheri.
The tiny lizard was found in Fujairah in June by Dr Theodore Papenfuss, a researcher from the University of California, Berkeley, and his assistant Todd Pierson.
It is active at night when it uses its powerful vision to feed on insects and was first recorded in Masafi in the 1970s. But its presence at Wadi Wuraya was only confirmed this year.
The findings confirm the wadi as having one of the country's richest biodiversities. Scientists have recorded 74 families of invertebrates and 18 of reptiles and amphibians.
That is in addition to 74 species of birds, 12 species of mammals and about 300 species of plants.
Those plants become the focus of the programme this winter.
55 new species thrive in Fujairah’s wildlife haven
Gulf Today 28 Sep 11;
FUJAIRAH: Wadi Wurayah continues to be a stronghold for wildlife in the UAE with the discovery of 55 new species, including a shiny golden bug called Sphenoptera vanharteni and Lepisiota elegantissima (a long-legged elegant ant), in addition to Asaccus gallagheri (a tiny gecko).
The findings are a result of continued research, collaboration and verification by Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF), Fujairah Municipality and local authorities.
Out of the 55 new species recently found, 25 are considered new to science species, further highlighting the importance of this protected area.
These new species found in Wadi Wurayah are composed of two species of Arachnida (spiders, scorpions, ticks), one species of terrestrial Crustacean (crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles), one species of Entognatha (springtails), and 51 species of Insects (bugs, flies, ants, butterflies, etc).
Christophe Tourenq, senior conservation manager of EWS-WWF, said “These discoveries highlight the importance of conserving the habitats of the UAE. The protection of the many unique life forms that reside in our natural environment is interconnected with and interdependent on the protection of these habitats. The sustainability of our lifestyle is also dependent on the health of our natural environment and the resources it provides.”
The findings come as part of an intensive inventory of the arthropod fauna (insects, spiders, scorpions, terrestrial crustaceans) of the UAE that has been carried out under the patronage of Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nayan, member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi.
The results of this project coordinated and managed by Anthony van Harten, were published in a 4-volume book series titled Arthropod fauna of the UAE.
Tourenq added, “It is vital that we all do our part towards the conservation of our natural heritage. EWS-WWF calls on all UAE residents to work together and act responsibly to help support the on-going protection of the country’s habitats from degradation and loss.”
Another Wadi Wurayah species was discovered on the night of June 12 by two reptiles and amphibian specialists — researcher Theodore J. Papenfuss from University of Berkley, California, and his assistant, Todd Pierson, who were assisted by Fujairah Municipality and EWS-WWF staff. They spotted a tiny gecko on the gravel bed of the wadi: the Gallagher’s leaf-toed gecko Asaccus gallagheri.
Males of this elegant minuscule gecko of less than 7cm show a beautifully-coloured yellow tail and feed on the insects they chase in the dark, thanks to their night-vision. The Gallagher’s leaf-toed gecko was first described in Masafi, UAE in 1972 and is only found in the UAE and northern Oman.
In October 2010, Wadi Wurayah officially joined the list of 1,932 wetlands around the world, which are of international importance for biodiversity conservation under the Ramsar Convention. Due to its habitat diversity and the presence of permanent water, Wadi Wurayah is considered a stronghold for the wildlife in UAE.
