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STATUS OF TERRESTRIAL FAUNA

Invertebrate Animals

Invertebrate animals are the largest group of the faunal elements, both in number of species and number of individuals.

Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Insects are the largest group within the Phylum Arthropoda. It is better studied than the other groups of the phylum. Tentative number of the recorded species/subspecies is 3033 and of these, 557 are endemic.

 

Sp/SSP

Recorded

New Taxa

SP/SSP

Endemic

(Tentative)
Orders       
   Odonata
25
1
1(?)
 
   Orhtoptera
49
9
9
 
   Mantodae
40
12
12
 
   Isopetra
20
4
4
 
   Embidiina
5
4
4
 
   Psocoptera
9
7
7
 
   Anoplura
10
0
0
 
  Thsanoptera
22
4
4
 
   Hemiptera
111
4
4
 
   Homoptera
104
28
28
 
       Psyllodea
11
4
4
 
       Coccoidea
47
2
2
 
   Hetroptera
488
0
0
 
   Coleoptera
1473
287
287
 
   Strepsiptera
2
2
2
 
   Neuroptera
126
2
2
 
   Lepidoptera
751
132
132
 
      Cosmopterigidae
5
4
4
 
      Chrysopeleiidae
1
0
0
 
   Diptera
199
19
19
 
   Siphonoptera
23
0
0
 
  Total
3033
557
557

Class Crustacea
About 500-600 aquatic species
Few terrestrial species

Class Arachnida
 

Sp/SSP

Recorded

New Taxa

SP/SSP

Endemic

(Tentative)
Orders       
   Linyphiidae
2
1
1
 
   Scorpiones
14
5(?)
5(?)
 
   Pseudoscorpines
7
4
4
 
   Acari
 
      Sarcoptiformes
2
0
0
 
      Nilotonidae
1
1
1
 
      Ixodidae
40
1
1

Order Lepidoptera
It is the second largest group of insects after the beetles. More than 755 species of butterflies and moths is expected to be present in the Kingdom as more field studies will reveal. So far, 136 endemic species/subspecies have been described and recorded.

Larsen's (1984) analysis of Arabian and Middle Eastern butterflies reveals species with Palaearctic, Afro tropical and Oriental affinities. He also recorded eight Endemic species from Asir region and 23 Endemic sub species from different parts of Arabia.

OTHER INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS

 

Sp/SSP

Recorded

New Taxa

SP/SSP

Endemic

(Tentative)

 
Phylum Protozoa
   No Information available
  '  '  ' 
Phylum Plathelminthes
   '  '  ' 
   Tubifucidae
25
9
9
 
   Hirudinea
3
1
1
 
   Parasitic
3
0
0
 
      Sarcoptiformes
2
0
0
 
      Nilotonidae
1
1
1
 
      Ixodidae
40
1
1
 
Phylum Nemathelmithes
   No Information available
'
'
'
 
Phylum Mollusca
'
'
'
 
      Aquatic
>2000
'
'
 
      Terrestrial  ABOUT
100
0
0
 
Phylum Annelida
   No information available
'
'
'
 
Phylum Echinodermata
'
'
'
 
   Arabian Gulf
356
0
14
 
   Red Sea
>225
'
'

THREATS TO TERRESTRIAL FAUNA

Economic growth based on urban and agricultural development contributes to pollution of soil, surface and ground water and to a decrease in biological and
landscape diversity. As a consequence of increasing development, the main threats are:

  • HABITAT DESTRUCTION
  • OVER-GRAZING
  • OVER-HUNTING

 

 

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