UAE | Environment

UAE resident finds 167 insects new to science

Ever been woken up by an incessant buzzing near your ear and wished insects would just leave you alone and go far, far away?

  • By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:21 June 7, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Supplied photo
  • A Komarowi is one of the many insects that Sharjah entomologist Antonius Van Harten discovered.
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Dubai: Ever been woken up by an incessant buzzing near your ear and wished insects would just leave you alone and go far, far away?

Well, one man in the UAE can't have enough of the bugs. Studying bugs is a passion for him.

Antonius Van Harten, 63, from Holland, lives in Sharjah. He describes himself as a professional entomologist with 41 years experience. His laboratory is testament to the hours and hours he puts into sorting bugs.

Before Van Harten started, existing research from 1979 to 2008 listed 828 insect species recorded in the UAE. Now, more than 11,000 samples later, 932 new species to the UAE have been found, and of those 167 are new to science.

Over the last three years, Van Harten has been putting together a complete record of anything that flies, buzzes, hums, drones or whistles.

So far, he has completed two volumes of Arthropod Fauna of the UAE, but so rich is the Arabian peninsula's insect population, that enough specimens have been collected to fill six books.

"The ones under two millimetres are the most interesting," Van Harten says, as he picks up a container. "The bigger ones have already been recorded."

Peering at the black mass inside the container, thousands of tiny insects come into focus.

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Van Harten's laboratory is a specially modified room at the back of his property with shelves of jars filled with insects collected over the last four years.

A microscope takes up most of the space on his desk behind which posters of ants and beetles are tacked to the wall. The smell of chemical wafts around giving the room the desired air of science and research.

Van Harten was commissioned to put these records together under the patronage of Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

These records have been compiled into two volumes. A third volume is in the pipeline.

Should the project go on to record everything Van Harten has collected so far, it would be one of the biggest collections in the world. He has already made many scientific discoveries with the help of 220 experts from 28 countries.

"Experts usually focus on one species or sub-species - it is very specific so I have had to resort to a network of peers to have everything identified," he said.

The majority of the insects in the UAE are diptera, commonly known as mosquitoes, gnats or midges.

Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen, where Van Harten spent 10 years, have made good headway in finding new insect species.

"The insects new to science are good but the main thing is to show all the species and not just look for new ones. The point is to give people an idea of all the fauna out there," he said.

Arthropod Fauna of the UAE has been reviewed as providing "surprising wealth and diversity" of the region by the British Journal of Natural History.

Species and subspecies new to Science in ‘Arthropod fauna of the UAE

Volume 1

Neognathus harteni Ueckermann, 2008 (Prostigmata, Calligonellidae)
Hemikulina arabica Mendes, 2008 (Zygentoma, Lepismatidae)
Nigrobaetis arabiensis Gattolliat & Sartori, 2008 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae)
Cheleocloeon soldani Gattolliat & Sartori, 2008 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae)
Cloeon vanharteni Gattolliat & Sartori, 2008 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae)
Cloeon arenorum Gattolliat & Sartori, 2008 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae)
Caenis malzacheri Sartori & Gattolliat, 2008 (Ephemeroptera, Caenidae)
Tivia fusca Bohn, 2008 (Blattoptera, Polyphagidae)
Trogium vanharteni Lienhard, 2008 (Psocoptera, Trogiidae)
Peritroctes deserticus Lienhard, 2008 (Psocoptera, Pachytroctidae)
Rhinopsocus micristhmus Lienhard, 2008 (Psocoptera, Mesopsocidae)
Rhinopsocus isthmicus Lienhard, 2008 (Psocoptera, Mesopsocidae)
Arabopsocus spiniproctus Lienhard, 2008 (Psocoptera, Psocidae)
Adeniana safadi Schedl, 2008 (Auchenorrhyncha, Tibicinidae)
Canarinus griffioenae Kanaar, 2008 (Coleoptera, Histeridae)
Saprinus luceseductus Kanaar, 2008 (Coleoptera, Histeridae)
Alienocacculus vanharteni Kanaar, 2008 (Coleoptera, Histeridae)
Hypocacculus (Nessus) ascendens desertorum Kanaar, 2008 (Coleoptera, Histeridae)
Hartenius narci Platia, 2008 (Coleoptera, Elateridae)
Cardiophorus safadensis Platia, 2008 (Coleoptera, Elateridae)
Mycetocharina vanharteni Novak, 2008 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)
Probosca (Proboxantha) vanharteni Švihla, 2008 (Coleoptera, Oedemeridae)
Anthicus (Anthicus) piratus Telnov, 2008 (Coleoptera, Anthicidae)
Anthicus (Anthicus) pseudoarmatus Telnov, 2008 (Coleoptera, Anthicidae)
Stricticollis desolatius Telnov, 2008 (Coleoptera, Anthicidae)
Endomia vanharteni Telnov, 2008 (Coleoptera, Anthicidae)
Derolus iranensis arabicus Sama, 2008 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)
Chloropterus lefevrei arabicus Lopatin, 2008 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)
Coptocephala maidaquensis Lopatin, 2008 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)
Cryptocephalus (Cryptocephalus) chikatunovi Lopatin, 2008 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)
Macrocoma vanharteni Lopatin, 2008 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)
Amblyaspis harteni Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Anirama semiclavata Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Inostemma filicorne Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Platygaster arabica Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Platygaster harteni Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygasteridae)
Platygaster papei Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Platygaster vercammeni Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Synopeas khalidi Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Synopeas ubiquitosus Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Synopeas harteni Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Synopeas scutoscutellaris Buhl, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)
Cirrospilus virgatus Yefremova, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae)
Elachertus fulvus Yefremova, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae)
Platyplectrus ajbanensis Yefremova, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae)
Platyplectrus desertus Yefremova, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae)
Dryinus tigarae Olmi, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Dryinidae)
Chrysis harteni Strumia, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae)
Hedychridium ardens sanguineum Strumia, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae)
Macroocula tigarae Pagliano, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Bradynobaenidae)
Macroocula arabica Pagliano, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Bradynobaenidae)
Macroocula sajia Pagliano, 2008 (Hymenoptera, Bradynobaenidae)
Elachista veruta Kaila, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae)
Coleophora safadella van der Wolf, 2008 (Lepidoptera. Coleophoridae)
Agdistis qurayyahiensis Gielis, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pterophoridae)
Hypotia birgita Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Scotomera gielisi Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Canthelea safadalis Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Paralaodamia ajbanica Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Pempelia arida Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Phycita arabica Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Epiepischnia minimella Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Asalebria adiudicata Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Acrobasis minutalis Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Ancylosis (Heterographis) ochraceela Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Saluria eremica Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Pseudacritonia albidella Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
Aeschremon desertalis Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Crambidae)
Aeschremon similis Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Crambidae)
Aeschremon ochrealis Asselbergs, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Crambidae)
Spiralisigna angusta Hausmann & Skou, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
Cleora nana Hausmann & Skou, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
Microchrysa arabica Hauser, 2008 (Diptera, Stratiomyidae)
Puliciphora imitata Disney, 2008 (Diptera, Phoridae)
Euarestella vanharteni Merz, 2008 (Diptera, Tephritidae)
Oxyaciura nigra Merz, 2008 (Diptera, Tephritidae)
Lipoleucopis pulchra Raspi, 2008 (Diptera, Chamaemyiidae)
Tethina callosirostris Munari, 2008 (Diptera, Canacidae)
Tethina spinigera Munari, 2008 (Diptera, Canacidae)
Aphaniosoma impeditum Ebejer, 2008 (Diptera, Chyromyidae)
Aphaniosoma incudisternum Ebejer, 2008 (Diptera, Chyromyidae)
Aphaniosoma perpallidum Ebejer, 2008 (Diptera, Chyromyidae)
Aphaniosoma platystylum Ebejer, 2008 (Diptera, Chyromyidae)
Somatiosoma eremicolum Ebejer, 2008 (Diptera, Chyromyidae)
Metalliopsis arabica Deeming, 2008 (Diptera, Calliphoridae)
Baniassa fenestrata Zeegers, 2008 (Diptera, Rhinophoridae)
Stevenia actenata Zeegers, 2008 (Diptera, Rhinophoridae)

Volume 2

Minniza antonii Mahnert, 2009 (Pseudoscorpiones, Olpiidae)
Allochernes peregrinans Mahnert, 2009 (Pseudoscorpiones, Chernetidae)
Drepanura nubila Barra & van Harten, 2009 (Collembola, Entomobryidae)
Seira infrequens Barra & van Harten, 2009 (Collembola, Entomobryidae)
Psyllipsocus disparunguis Lienhard, 2009 (Psocoptera, Psyllipsocidae)
Nephax postalatus Lienhard, 2009 (Psocoptera, Amphientomidae)
Ectopsocus ambulans Lienhard, 2009 (Psocoptera, Ectopocidae)
Mesopsocus gynevolans Lienhard, 2009 (Psocoptera, Mesopsocidae)
Stenolophus (Egadroma) pseudoobockianus Felix & Muilwijk, 2009 (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Anthracus vanharteni Jaeger & Felix, 2009 (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Phloeozeteus fuscoflavus Felix & Muilwijk, 2009 (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Paraglycia cyanochloris Felix & Muilwijk, 2009 (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Georissus (Neogeorissus) chameleo Fikácek & Trávnícek, 2009 (Coleoptera, Georissidae)
Heterocerus harteni Mascagni, 2009 (Coleoptera, Heteroceridae)
Selasia sweihana Geisthardt, 2009 (Coleoptera, Drilidae)
Attagenus papei Háva, 2009 (Coleoptera, Dermestidae)
Attagenus vanharteni Háva, 2009 (Coleoptera, Dermestidae)
Phradonoma sweihanum Háva, 2009 (Coleoptera, Dermestidae)
Gastrallus arabicus Zahradnik, 2009 (Coleoptera, Ptinidae)
Mesocoelopus arabicus Zahradnik, 2009 (Coleoptera, Ptinidae)
Xyletinus (Calypterus) vanharteni Zahradnik, 2009 (Coleoptera, Ptinidae)
Hycleus fraudulentus hyneki Batelka, 2009 (Coleoptera, Meloidae)
Paratomoxioda harteni Horák, 2009 (Coleoptera, Mordellidae)
Mordellistena gallagheri Horák, 2009 (Coleoptera, Mordellidae)
Mordellistena desertorum Horák, 2009 (Coleoptera, Mordellidae)
Oxyonyx khalidi Colonnelli, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Hypurus vanharteni Colonnelli, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Rhinusa scrophulariae Caldara, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Rhamphus micros Colonnelli, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Sharpia sabulicola Colonnelli, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Amblyrhinus cylindricollis Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Myllocerus ochraceus Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Myllocerus strangulaticollis Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Cyrtepistomus sabulosus Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Pseudobarirrhinus conicus Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Pseudoparascaphus maculatus Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Parakasakhstania densesquamosa Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Parageotragus griseus Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Dereodus albofasciatus Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Coelositona vanharteni Magnano, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Lixus (Compsolixus) talamellii Colonnelli, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Microlarinus irregularis Colonnelli, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Microlarinus minimus Colonnelli, 2009 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Iswara axiphilus van Achterberg & van Harten, 2009 (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae)
Iswara latifrons van Achterberg & van Harten, 2009 (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae)
Iswara minutus van Achterberg & van Harten, 2009 (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae)
Iswara stemmaticalis van Achterberg & van Harten, 2009 (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae)
Komarowia convexifrons van Achterberg & van Harten, 2009 (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae)
Komarowia setosa van Achterberg & van Harten, 2009 (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae)
Lamprowara convexus van Achterberg & van Harten, 2009 (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae)
Hapsiferona arabica Gaedike, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Tineidae)
Perissomastix (Perissomastix) wadimaidaq Gaedike, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Tineidae)
Perissomastix (Perissomastix) versicolor Gaedike, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Tineidae)
Alucita inflativora Gielis & Buszko, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae)
Depressaria ruticola arabica Lvovsky, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Depressariidae)
Scopula harteni Hausmann, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
Neromia integrata Hausmann, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
Eublemma fastrei Fibiger & Legrain, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
Eublemma blanca Fibiger & Legrain, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
Nola trini Fibiger & Legrain, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
Cladotanytarsus sagittifer Giłka, 2009 (Diptera, Chironomidae)
Paratanytarsus praecellens Giłka, 2009 (Diptera, Chironomidae)
Limomormia (Arabomyia) wadi Ježek & van Harten, 2009 (Diptera, Psychodidae)
Psychodocha khoralkhwairensis Ježek & van Harten, 2009 (Diptera, Psychodidae)
Leylaiya apostibes Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Glabellula thespia Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Cyrtosia arabica Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Cyrtosia panemplio Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Cyrtosia zygophrys Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Cephalodromia ktantesula Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Cephalodromia dichadopercnis Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) cnecotoichus Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Empidideicus) chalepoblepsis Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Empidideicus) anahoraticus Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Empidideicus) parvus Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Empidideicus) pissinulus Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Empidideicus) pollostus Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Empidideicus) psephenyps Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus (Empidideicus) vanharteni Evenhuis, 2009 (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae)
Scenopinus megapodemus Ebejer, 2009 (Diptera, Scenopinidae)
Scenopinus vesicularis Ebejer, 2009 (Diptera, Scenopinidae)
Trixoscelis deemingi Woźnica, 2009 (Diptera, Trixoscelidae)
Trixoscelis migueli Woźnica, 2009 (Diptera, Trixoscelidae)
Trixoscelis vanharteni Woźnica, 2009 (Diptera, Trixoscelidae)
Trixoscelis stukei Woźnica, 2009 (Diptera, Trixoscelidae)


Prostigmata = mites
Pseudoscorpiones = pseudoscorpions
Collembola = springtails
Zygentoma = silverfish
Ephemeroptera = mayflies
Blattoptera = cockroaches
Psocoptera = booklice
Auchenorrhyncha = cycads
Coleoptera = beetles
Hymenoptera = wasps, bees
Lepidoptera = moths
Diptera = midges, gnats, flies

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