The discovery of a new species of tiny beetle in Sharjah, measuring little more than the width of a credit card, could offer further insight into the biodiversity of the region, according to the scientist who confirmed its authenticity.
When Dr Sergei Tshernyshev, based in Siberia, received a small vial containing a tiny creature from the UAE, he first thought it was a mite, an arachnid often found as a parasite on larger animals.
However, on detailed analysis, this specimen – one of a number he was sent after they were collected in the Emirates – was found to be an all-new species of soft-winged flower beetle, a group of insects that Dr Tshernyshev has spent decades researching.
They (beetles) could be used as markers of habitat protection, to protect some habitats that could be damaged by human activity
Dr Sergei Tshernyshev,
scientist
In a newly published study, Dr Tshernyshev has named the beetle Arabotroglops longantennatus in recognition of where it comes from and its long antennae.
Represented by just a single specimen found in Sharjah Desert Park by Dutch scientist Antonius van Harten, the adult male creature had a body that was a little more than 1mm long (excluding legs and tentacles).
Its discovery is the result of both scientific expertise and a dose of luck, because after spending most of their lives as larvae, adult male soft-winged flower beetles live for a fleeting period of just a week or so.
The beetle found in the UAE emerged from the pupa, the dormant cocoon stage during which the larva transforms into an adult, around March time.
Adult females of these beetles, which belong to the malachiid subfamily, may live a couple of weeks, spending some of this time looking for a place to lay their eggs.
“It’s tiny, it’s very small,” Dr Tshernyshev, who works at the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said.
“Adults, they live a short period of time. They only appear to find a sexual partner and lay eggs and they disappear. To collect malachiid beetles, you should know the time they emerge.
“Sometimes you can collect only females, because males have disappeared. It’s a pity because when you collect a female, you cannot identify the species.”
The new paper in the European Journal of Taxonomy also details two other new soft-wing flower beetle species – tonyattalus vanharteni (discovered at Sharjah Desert Park) and Tonycolates kovari (collected at Wadi Maidaq in Fujairah) – found by Mr Van Harten and named in his honour.
Members of one of these new species had previously been discovered, but had been assigned to a different species.
While there are many thousands of soft-winged flower beetle species worldwide, these are the first to be found in the UAE.
Many soft-winged flower beetle species live in tropical rain forests, with the larvae living under tree bark and preying upon other invertebrates. They are also found in, among other places, Europe, where they survive the chilly winter as a pupa.
The work highlights the way that much remains to be learned about the world’s insects because, even though about one million insect species have been identified, as many as 80 per cent remain undiscovered.
Dr Tshernyshev said identifying new species such as these beetles was important so that scientists understood the biodiversity that existed on the planet.
“You can compare the fauna with different groups in different regions, for example,” he said. “You can compare the character of the species from many, many millions of years ago with now.
"They could be used as markers of habitat protection, to protect some habitats that could be damaged by human activity. That’s why it’s necessary to study the fauna and study these small creatures and understand that they are also an element of ecosystems.”
The UAE offers particularly interesting habitats to study, he said, because although it contains desert areas, these are much closer to the sea than many deserts in other nations.
Mr Van Harten, who led a long-running initiative to catalogue the UAE’s arthropods – the category that includes insects and arachnids – collected the specimens identified by Dr Tshernyshev between 2006 and 2008.
It took more than a decade for the results to be published because Dr Tshernyshev, who is a fellow of the Linnaean Society of London, a learned society for the study of natural history, had to borrow specimens from a museum in London for comparison.
Endangered animals in the UAE: in pictures
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
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Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
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Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
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Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
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Esteban Ocon (Force India)
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Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
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9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
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Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
