Rare dragonfly species found in Fujairah

The species was discovered by Dr Jacky Judas, an expert in tropical ecology as well as a research consultant at the park.

Dr Judas was in the wadi to photograph different dragonflies. When he got home after looking through his pictures, he noticed there was a species that he was unfamiliar with, as the cross-veins on its lower wing were not fitting with what he was familiar with in similar dragonflies.

Urothemis thomasi Ischnura nursei

He explored all other possibilities of red-bodied dragonflies known in the UAE, before checking with an expert at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a specialist of Arabian dragonflies. Both concluded that the dragonfly photographed in Wadi Wurayah was a male of the species called Urothemis thomasi. According to IUCN data, this species was previously sighted at only eight sites in Oman and has not been recorded anywhere since 1957. In fact, this species which is new to the UAE , was even thought to be extinct.

Recent wildlife surveys show that 21 of the 30 known dragonfly and damselfly species that are seen in the UAE, have been recorded in Wadi Wurayah National Park; further establishing this site as a hotspot for dragonflies. Besides dragonflies, there is a variety of animals and insects at the wadi. Species in the wadi range from Mountain Gazelle, Caracal and the Blanford’s fox, alongside a range of invertebrates and a species of fish called garra fish. Besides these, a unique orchid species, Epipactis veratrifolia, an orchid that likes to grow in open spaces in forests has also been discovered in the UAE.

Due to the presence of permanent water, Wadi Wurayah has been used by local communities for more than two millennia. And it hosts 29 heritage sites from pre-Islamic tombs to Bedouin settlements from the early 1980s.

Wadi Wurayah has been listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland site of international importance. It is though threatened by over exploitation of water resources, overgrazing, hunting, habitat degradation (littering, fires), quarrying, habitat fragmentation, urbanisation and introduction of exotic species.

Ida Tillisch, Director General of EWS-WWF said: “We are pleased with the news that one of the species, which has not been recorded since 1957 and was even thought to be extinct, has been recently recorded in the wadi. As we move into establishing Wadi Wurayah National Park, this news yet again confirms that this area remains a stronghold for wildlife in the UAE.”

Another discovery in the same week in two different sites in Fujairah found a tiny colorful damselfly called Ischnura nursei. This is the first time it has been recorded in the country; its previously known range being India, Pakistan and Iran.

nivriti@khaleejtimes.com