New to Science: Insect Discoveries from Long-Term Monitoring in Terrestrial Protected Areas in Abu Dhabi, UAE

In 2005, the known insect fauna of the United Arab Emirates comprised approximately 800 species. Through the Invertebrate Inventory Project, initiated by the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD), a comprehensive inventory of insect diversity within the Emirate’s protected areas has been conducted for more than two decades. Among the taxa documented through these surveys are 26 insect species and one genus, comprising 22 wasp species (Hymenoptera), three species of true flies (Diptera), and one antlion species (Neuroptera). Of these 26 species, 25 have been formally described in previous taxonomic publications based on material collected through the EAD inventory, whereas one Drapetis taxon from Al Wathba Wetland Reserve remains unpublished and is not treated here as an available nomenclatural act under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). The genus and its associated species included in the synthesis were originally established in previous taxonomic publications. Malaise traps were used as the primary sampling method, complemented by pitfall traps, water traps, and other standard entomological trapping techniques. This study consolidates the available taxonomic information, distributional records, ecological observations, and biogeographical insights for these taxa. The long-term inventory highlights the effectiveness of systematic sampling for documenting previously unrecognized insect diversity and emphasizes the importance of terrestrial protected areas in revealing and conserving the largely understudied invertebrate biodiversity of the United Arab Emirates.