Increasing knowledge of the entomological fauna of the United Arab Emirates and the role of private collections
Author
Howarth, Brigitte
Zayed University, Dubai ,, United Arab Emirates
Author
Gillett, Michael
Dominic Drive, Birmingham ,, United Kingdom
text
ZooKeys
2009
2009-12-28
31
3
119
132
journal article
22785
10.3897/zookeys.31.139
475fd1bd-1153-4e40-b113-76765451dd6d
1313–2970
576584
Mantispa nana
(Navás, 1912)
(
Neuroptera
:
Mantispidae
)
Like many desert countries, the
UAE
is rich in species of nocturnal insects that belong to the order of nerve-winged insects or
Neuroptera
. Members of various families that include green lacewings (
Chrysopidae
), brown lacewings (
Hemerobiidae
), antlions (
Myrmeleontidae
), ribbon wings (
Nemopteridae
) and owl flies (
Ascalaphidae
) are all common at suitable sites (
Howarth and Gillett 2008
) and can often be attracted in large numbers to light traps. More recently an insect belonging to a sixth family of this order, the
Mantispidae
or mantis flies, has been collected and identified. It is
Mantispa nana
and has been found at a number of sites, including Al Ain and
Dubai
and is a further new record for the
UAE
.