The ant genus Carebara Westwood in the Arabian Peninsula (Hymenoptera,Formicidae)

The ant genus Carebara of the Arabian Peninsula is revised. Carebara abuhurayri Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011 is synonymized under Carebara arabica Collingwood & van Harten, 2001. Carebara arabica is redescribed and a Neotype is fixed based on a specimen collected from southwestern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A new species, C. fayrouzae sp. n. is described from Saudi Arabia based on queens, major and minor workers. Keys to major and minor workers of the two Arabian Carebara species are given.     

Tabanidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia

Samples were collected from southern, central and eastern regions of Saudi Arabia using Malaise traps and sweep nets. Nine species of Tabanidae were identified, two for the first time from Saudi Arabia, Hybomitra peculiaris (Szilády) and Atylotus pulchellus (Loew).Therefore, the total number of Tabanidae in Saudi Arabia is 31 species. Remarks of the species recorded in this study were given. A key to the genera of Tabanidae occurring in the Arabian Peninsula is also provided. Available literature for Saudi Arabian Tabanidae is summarized and provided. It is concluded that the tabanid fauna of Saudi Arabia is more similar to that of the Palaearctic region than to the Afrotropical region.     

Small and overlooked: Phylogeny of the genus Trigonodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the first record of Trigonodactylus arabicus from Jordan

Geckos of the genus Trigonodactylus are widely distributed in the sand deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. Three species of this genus are currently recognized, with a fourth one, Stenodactylus pulcher, which placement within Trigonodactylus has been tentatively suggested, but not yet confirmed. We present a phylogenetic analysis of the genus Trigonodactylus with new specimens collected in central Saudi Arabia and southern Jordan. New genetic data has been generated from three mitochondrial markers to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of all species of the genus and to assess the putative generic assignment of S. pulcher. Our results confirm that S. pulcher indeed belongs within Trigonodactylus, branching as a sister lineage to all other species of the genus. The new samples cluster within Trigonodactylus arabicus, thus confirming the genetic homogeneity of the species across its large and seemingly inhospitable range. The new specimen collected in southern Jordan represents the first record for the country and a considerable range extension to the northwest from all previously reported localities. Our findings and discovery of a new species for Jordan highlight the need of more field surveys to be carried out in the underexplored parts of Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia, as these places still hold a potential for new discoveries and are crucial for understating the biogeography of the Arabian herpetofauna.     

Modelling potential habitat suitability for critically endangered Arabian leopards (Panthera pardus nimr) across their historical range in Saudi Arabia

Camera trapping can detect and monitor rare species in landscapes spanning thousands of square kilometres but placement of cameras in areas where the animals most likely occur will increase detection success. This vital information is lacking for the critically endangered Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) that has undergone a 90% decline across its range in Saudi Arabia. We aimed to identify suitable Arabian leopard habitat and potential population capacity in Saudi Arabia using data from leopards living in ecologically analogous habitat in South Africa and Oman. We developed a resource selection function (RSF) from 14 leopards’ GPS data in the Cederberg, South Africa, and validated the model using three leopards in the Little Karoo, and two Arabian leopards in Oman. We then projected the model to the historical range of Arabian leopards in Saudi Arabia to estimate likely leopard locations and potential population sizes based on home range metrics. The RSF successfully discriminated between used and available locations (specificity = 96.7%) and had high predictive ability (Rho > 0.9). Leopards selectively used areas away from human settlements and roads, with high enhanced vegetation index, and intermediate slopes and elevations. Saudi Arabia could theoretically host 4 distinct populations totalling 162–362 Arabian leopard females, depending on home range size. Camera traps deployed in the south-western mountains of Saudi Arabia may be most likely to detect remnant populations of Arabian leopards. Further research is needed into the local abundance of prey species and human activity to ensure the persistence of suitable leopard ranges and inform conservation actions.     

Ants of the Genus Solenopsis Westwood 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with Description of a New Species,Solenopsis elhawagryi

Ants of the genus Solenopsis Westwood in the Arabian Peninsula are revised. Six species are treated: Solenopsis elhawagryi Sharaf & Aldawood sp. n., S. geminata (Fabricius, 1804), S. omana Collingwood & Agosti, 1996, S. saudiensis Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011, S. sumara Collingwood & Agosti, 1996, and S. zingibara Collingwood & Agosti, 1996. Solenopsis elhawagryi is described from Beljorashi Governorate, Al Baha Province, Saudi Arabia, based on worker castes and the queen with notes on this species biology and ecology. Solenopsis sumara workers are redescribed and illustrated for the first time and a lectotype is designated. An identification key to the Arabian and Egyptian species is provided with scanning electron micrographs to facilitate species recognition.     

Genetic variation and subspecific status of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) in Saudi Arabia

This work represents the most extensive genetic study of the grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) in Arabia and the first considering genetic data from multiple locations within Saudi Arabia. Previous suggestion of the occurrence of two subspecies of wolves in Arabia is not supported by this study. The genetic evidence suggests that the wolves of Saudi Arabia are genetically variable and more closely related to the Eurasian wolf Canis lupus group (dog included) than to the Indian wolf C. l. pallipes. The genetic diversity observed for C. lupus in Saudi Arabia indicates that the subspecific status C. l. arabs should be retained for the Arabian wolf. What remains unclear is the degree to which genetic introgression from domestic dogs has influenced the composition and integrity of C. lupus in Saudi Arabia.     

Two newly recognized species of Hemidactylus (Squamata,Gekkonidae) from the Arabian Peninsula?and Sinai,Egypt

A recent molecular phylogeny of the Arid clade of the genus Hemidactylus revealed that the recently described H. saba and two unnamed Hemidactylus species from Sinai, Saudi Arabia and Yemen form a well-supported monophyletic group within the Arabian radiation of the genus. The name ‘Hemidactylus saba species group’ is suggested for this clade. According to the results of morphological comparisons and the molecular analyses using two mitochondrial (12S and cytb) and four nuclear (cmos, mc1r, rag1, rag2) genes, the name Hemidactylus granosus Heyden, 1827 is resurrected from the synonymy of H. turcicus for the Sinai and Saudi Arabian species. The third species of this group from Yemen is described formally as a new species H. ulii sp. n. The phylogenetic relationships of the members of ‘Hemidactylus saba species group’ are evaluated and the distribution and ecology of individual species are discussed.     

Latrine survey as a method to estimate the population size of Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica)

Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica) populations have been decimated in most parts of their original range. As a cryptic, crepuscular species, Arabian gazelles are difficult to observe, rendering monitoring programs for conservation purposes a challenging endeavour. Latrine mapping has been suggested as an effective, time- and cost-efficient tool to survey and estimate the abundance of gazelles in remote areas with low population densities. In the present study we collected data from five populations in Saudi Arabia to address the question of how population estimates can be inferred from such latrine counts and uncovered a non-linear relationship between both variables. Methodologies applied during the five surveys differed between study sites, so caution is required when interpreting our data. Still, given the immediate threat to the survival of the species, there is an urgent need to establish a time- and cost-efficient sampling method that will be vital for the conservation of remnant pockets of natural populations and for the proclamation of new protected areas in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East, and the present data are the only available source of information in this context.     

Preliminary palynological investigation of Saudi Arabian Upper Ordovician glacial sediments

An Ordovician stratigraphically admixed palynomorph assemblage that contains palynomorphs eroded from Middle through Upper Ordovician strata characterizes the Hawban Member (restricted) of the Sarah Formation in central Saudi Arabia. This distinctive assemblage, combined with detailed sedimentology, helps identify the presence of Hirnantian Gondwanan glacial sediments on the Arabian Plate. Similar Ordovician admixed assemblages have been recognized from Upper Ordovician glacial sediments elsewhere along the Gondwanan margin. Within Saudi Arabia the composition of reworked assemblages depends upon the stratigraphic succession exposed to glacial erosion. Sylvanidium? hawbanense, which is one of the acritarchs found in glacial sediments, is newly described from Arabian Upper Ordovician strata.     

Genetic diversity among different species of the genus Leiurus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East

The molecular phylogenetic relationship among two species of genus Leiurus, from Saudi Arabia with additional comparative sequence data available from Egypt, Oman and Turkey is presented. The molecular phylogeny was performed using maximum parsimony, neighbor joining and bayesian inference. Our results indicate a clear deep splitting between the Western clade, which represented by L. quinuestriatus sequences from Egypt and those from the Eastern clade which encompassing different Leiurus species from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Turkey was shown. Also, the phylogenetic relationship represents additional support for the taxonomic status of Arabian Leiurus species.     

New evidence for the Early Devonian age of the Jauf Formation in northern Saudi Arabia

Well-preserved Early Devonian continental and sparse marine palynomorph assemblages recovered from an exploration borehole located in northern Saudi Arabia are reported here and add to the understanding of Arabian Devonian stratigraphy. The units examined are the conventionally cored lower Murayr, upper Hammamiyat and Sha’iba Members of the Jauf Formation. A comparison with data sets from elsewhere on the Arabian Plate suggests that the units examined are Emsian in age. The age of the Murayr and Hammamiyat boundary interval is revised, based on the occurrence of Dibolisporites eifeliensis in northern Saudi Arabia, and placed in the Rhabdosporites minutus (Min) Interval Zone of the Emphanisporites foveolatus-Verrucosisporites dubia (FD) Oppel Zone. A new miospore, Apiculiretusispora densa with distinctive interradial thickenings, is described.     

First Record of the Myrmicine Ant Genus Meranoplus Smith, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Arabian Peninsula with Description of a New Species and Notes on the Zoogeography of Southwestern Kingdom Saudi Arabia

The ant genus Meranoplus is reported for the first time from the Arabian Peninsula (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) by the new species M. pulcher sp. n., based on the worker caste. Specimens were collected from Al Sarawat and Asir Mountains of southwestern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using pitfall traps. Meranoplus pulcher sp. n. is included in the Afrotropical M. magretii-group, with greatest similarity to M. magrettii André from Sudan. A key to the Afrotropical species of the M. magretii-group is presented. A brief review of the ant taxa with Afrotropical affinities in southwestern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is given.     

Sea cucumbers of the Arabian Peninsula and Iran – A review of historical and current research trends

Sea cucumbers are benthic marine invertebrates with immense ecological and commercial value. Processed sea cucumbers known as “Beche-de-mer” are a delicacy in southeast Asian countries with an ever-increasing demand depleting wild stocks on a global scale. Aquaculture techniques are well developed for commercially important species (e.g. Holothuria scabra) to aid in conservation and trade. In the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, where the major land mass is surrounded by marginal seas (Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea), studies on sea cucumbers are rather limited and its economic value is underestimated. Historical and current research trends indicate impoverished diversity (82 species) due to environmental extremes. Artisanal fisheries exist for the sea cucumbers of Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, with Yemen and United Arab Emirates (UAE) playing a key role in collection and export to Asian countries. Stock assessment and data on export indicates depletion of natural stocks in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Aquaculture trials of high value species (H. scabra) were successful in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran with prospects for further expansion. Research on ecotoxicological properties and bioactive substances conducted in Iran demonstrates an immense research potential. Molecular phylogeny, biology, use in bioremediation, and characterisation of bioactive compounds were identified as potential gaps in research. Expanding aquaculture operations could revive exports and recuperate damaged stocks through sea ranching. Furthermore, regional cooperation, networking, training, and capacity building could help fill the gaps in sea cucumber research, which will aid in its effective conservation and management.     

Genetic diversity of Moringa peregrina species in Saudi Arabia with ITS sequences

The genus Moringa was the family of Moringaceae and Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina are the most famous species of Moringa. M. peregrina is widely grown in Saudi Arabia, Iran and India. Therefore, based on these reports, this study aimed to investigate the first systematic attempt to regulate the genetic diversity of the species M. peregrina in Saudi Arabian samples collected from several geographic locations using internal transcribed sequences. Genomic DNA was separated by CTAB extraction method and PCR was performed. Later on, DNA sequencing was performed for PCR products with ITS. In conclusion, the present study affords the first report on genetic stability of M. peregrina using ITS analysis in Saudi Arabia. Further studies are suggested in order to study in different regions.     

Modeling the potential distribution of the predator of honey bees,Palarus latifrons,in the Arabian deserts using Maxent and GIS

ObjectivesThe species Palarus latifrons (bee pirates) has been recorded in Saudi Arabia as an invasive species. This pest can destroy honey bee colonies under certain conditions. The origin of this species in Africa and it has a good ability to adapt to desert conditions. Studies on this species are very few but its current distribution in the Arabian deserts is mainly in the Arabian Gulf countries. This study presents maps for the possible expansion of this species to invade other desert areas in the Arabian countries’ under current and near-future conditions (2030).MethodsThis pest is a solitary insect with high activity during summer. It is hypothesized that summer conditions and especially temperature are the limiting factor for its distribution in the deserts. The analysis depended on generating maps based on temperatures during summer and based on two bioclimatic factors. Maxent and the geographical information system (GIS) were used to perform the analysis.Results and conclusionsAll maps showed the high ability of this pest to spread in the Gulf countries. In North Africa: south Egypt and Libya, and some parts of Algeria showed suitability for Palarus. The invasion of this pest towards North Africa can happen mostly due to trading activities with Gulf countries especially materials containing soil. Continues monitoring for the activity of Palarus in the risk areas is highly advised.     

Geographical distribution and molecular detection of Nosema ceranae from indigenous honey bees of Saudi Arabia

The aim of the study was to detect the infection level of honey bees with Nosema apis and/or Nosema ceranae using microscopic and molecular analysis from indigenous honeybee race of eight Saudi Arabian geographical regions. A detailed survey was conducted and fifty apiaries were chosen at random from these locations. Infection level was determined both by microscope and Multiplex-PCR and data were analyzed using bioinformatics tools and phylogenetic analysis. Result showed that N. ceranae was the only species infecting indigenous honeybee colonies in Saudi Arabia. As determined by microscope, Nosema spores were found to be in 20.59% of total samples colonies, while 58% of the samples evaluated by PCR were found to be positive for N. ceranae, with the highest prevalence in Al-Bahah, a tropical wet and dry climatic region, whereas low prevalence was found in the regions with hot arid climate. Honeybees from all eight locations surveyed were positive for N. ceranae. This is the first report about the N. ceranae detection, contamination level and distribution pattern in Saudi Arabia.     

Food habits of the Arabian skink,Scincus hemprichii Wiegmann, 1837, (Sauria: Scincidae), in the Southwest Saudi Arabia

Food and feeding habits of the Arabian skink, Scincus hemprichii were investigated in Jazan province, southwest of Saudi Arabia. S. hemprichii individuals fed during eleven months of the year. The mass of food in the stomachs indicated that a high degree of foraging success occurred during the warm spring while the lowest was during winter with January as an exception to feeding by the lizard. Analysis of the contents of 60 stomachs revealed that the diet of S. hemprichii in the study area consisted of arthropods, with two species of beetles of the family Dermestidae (Dermestis vulpinus and Dermestis maculates) and three type of dipteran larvae, accounting for 76% of the total volume of the food items. Specimens collected during January had empty stomachs.     

Amphibians distribution and habitats in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia

This study surveyed 205 wetland sites in the Southwestern Saudi Arabia. We found seven species of amphibians (Anura), which belong to four families: Bufonidae; which includes four species, Sclerophrys tihamica; S. Arabica, Duttaphrynus dhufarensis, and Bufotes viridis; Hylidae, represented by only one species, the tree frog Hyla savignyi; Ranidae, which represented by one species, Pelophylax ridibundus and finally the Dicroglossidae, represented by one species, Euphlyctis ehrenbergii. The reasonable amount of rain received in southwest Arabia, and habitat diversity contribute to the relative abundance of amphibians in the region. Five types of wetland habitats were found in the study area. Valley streams, irrigated farms, seasonal ponds, dam reservoir and lagoons of treated sewage water. The current study revealed the wide spread of amphibians in southwestern Saudi Arabia than what had been reported earlier and confirmed the presence of the Bufotes viridis at three new sites in Asir Heights. It also showed the wide spread of S. arabica in all types of habitats in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Habitat degradation was evident in the region, which might lead to species loss.     

Olfactory associative behavioral differences in three honey bee Apis mellifera L. races under the arid zone ecosystem of central Saudi Arabia

Apis mellifera jemenitica is the indigenous race of honey bees in the Arabian Peninsula and is tolerant to local drought conditions. Experiments were undertaken to determine the differences in associative learning and memory of honey bee workers living in the arid zone of Saudi Arabia, utilizing the proboscis extension response (PER). These experiments were conducted on the indigenous race (A. m. jemenitica) along with two introduced European races (A. m. carnica and A. m. ligustica). The data revealed that A. m. jemenitica is amenable to PER conditioning and may be used in conditioning experiments within the olfactory behavioral paradigm. The results also demonstrated that the three races learn and retain information with different capacities relative to each other during the experimental time periods. Native Arabian bees (A. m. jemenitica) exhibited significantly lower PER percentage during second and third conditioning trials when compared to exotic races. Apis mellifera jemenitica also exhibited reduced memory retention at 2?h and 24?h when compared to A. m. carnica and A. m. ligustica. Therefore, the native Arabian bees were relatively slow learners with reduced memory retention compared to the other two races that showed similar learning and memory retention. Three or five conditioning trials and monthly weather conditions (October and December) had no significant effects on learning and memory in A. m. jemenitica. These results emphasized a novel line of research to explore the mechanism and differences in associative learning as well as other forms of learning throughout the year among bee races in the harsh arid conditions of Saudi Arabia. This is the first study in Saudi Arabia to demonstrate inter-race differences regarding olfactory associative learning between native Arabian bees and two introduced European honey bee races.