So why was I at the museum in the first instance? My purpose at the museum was to seek help with identification of materials we had collected over the year using a mercury vapour light that had been kindly lent to ENHG by ERWDA (Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency). Although ERWDA use their equipment continuously, Chris Drew allowed us to take away the generator and light set-up whenever we asked for it. The result is that we have now built up a substantial collection of insects, together with a much better understanding of seasonality, behaviour, and diversity of insects in this region. Insects are numerous and to know something about every insect order is almost impossible so the help given by the museum has been essential to the tedious and slow process of putting names to specimens found. In return, we donate specimens to the museum collection and over the past three years we have deposited about 100 specimens, all of them including ENHG on the data label. ENHG has been able to afford a set-up of our own so this work continues and although we return on a monthly basis to Wadi Tarabat, we have also visited many other sites and are going to be able to draw comparisons between the different habitats. The ultimate aim is to be able to record insects without having to collect much more material but to use our reference collection that will include specimens verified by museum staff. Our collection recently ‘doubled’ as a result of Mike Gillett’s donation of his collection to ENHG. The ENHG collection is the largest of its kind in the UAE and it is hoped that eventually it will be placed in a more suitable home.

Earlier this year we hosted the Inter-Emirates Weekend and one of the evening events included light trapping. That evening we collected an insect not previously recorded in the UAE. The insect is commonly known at a mantisfly, though this name is somewhat misleading. The insect belongs to the Order Neuroptera (Family Mantispidae) and so is closely related to ant-lions and lacewings. Using the museum collection I was able to tentatively identify the specimen as being Mantispa nana, of which there were some at the museum, collected in Oman by Larsen. Larsen has published extensively on the butterflies of Arabia and so it was no great surprise to find butterfly scales on the matisfly on closer inspection! Mantispidae have interesting habits! The young are predators in the egg sacs of spiders, draining egg contents through a sucking tube. Just before leaving the UAE, Mike’s son Conrad Gillett visited him. Conrad prepared an artistic painting of the insect (see picture).

During workshop sessions at Al Ain English Speaking School (AAESS) the collection will be made available for viewing. It is also an opportunity for anyone who has an interest to become involved. The best entomologists have always been those who are self-taught (e.g. Guichard). In addition, the collection is now extensive and help would be appreciated. And whilst at the workshop, remember to glance at the autobiography.. it is quite revealing!            ‚

     This annual event is one of the best community activities the ENHG undertakes. About 5:00 pm on Friday evening people began gathering in the empty lot in front of the Buraimi Hotel. We headed out in our various vehicles, 4x4’s and sedan cars, towards Fossil Valley and the Hanging Gardens on the Mahda road. Shortly after passing the turn off to the Hanging Gardens a dirt track led off to the right and we followed it to a lovely location behind a couple of low hills. Small groups climbed the low hill, watched the sun set and the moon rise.
 

     November 26th dawned as a clear, crisp morning with temperatures in the low twenties; an ideal time for a trip to a wadi or the desert. But 13 ENHG members did something completely different. We journeyed to the big city of Dubai for a special viewing of Maps at the Majlis III, the third exhibit of historic maps of Arabia presented at the Majlis Gallery.
      The group set off in five vehicles from Al Foah ADNOC station at about 9:15 am. Led by Geoff Cosson, who used to live within 100 metres of the gallery, we arrived in the Dubai Historic Buildings District with the convoy intact at 10:30. With a half an hour before our appointed time, we took the opportunity to take a quick look at the bastakia buildings and the abra and dhow traffic on the Dubai Creek. At the gallery we were joined by some folks from Dubai who had enjoyed the trips at the Music Festival and had followed our email list with envy since.

Maria Theresa’ Silver Dollars

by Geoff Cosson

   Many of our local museums and hotel shops include collections of jewelry, especially the heavy silver necklaces which often have coins attached. We saw some on our recent ‘after hours’ Al Ain museum visit. These coins are almost always the big ‘Maria Theresa’ silver dollars, which have an intriguing history of their own.

      On December 2, a small but enthusiastic group of hikers met outside the Buraimi Hotel at 7am. We waited until 7:15 as I had two more names on my list of “definites”. However, they didn’t show up.
      As usual we took the minimum number of vehicles and were walking up the approach wadi half an hour later. Our first stop was to look at some pools of reasonably ”fresh” water. Water was still trickling into one pool from the base of the rock. Close by were the remains of a donkey, scavengers had done a good job and very little remained. Just for a change we decided to follow the tourist route but made a slight detour near the base of the plateau. Amongst the boulders we came across the remains of a shelter. In it were pottery shards, mostly of the ubiquitous cooking pot, there was a small piece of glazed pottery possibly from a coffee cup and one piece that from the coarseness and thickness of clay could possibly have been pre-Islamic.

restoration efforts which are evident all over Esfahan. You can buy chai tea and walk for kilometers along the riverside, day or night (and yes, holding hands is allowed provided it is your legal partner) !It is all a very romantic scene and Persian culture, poetry and romance are all alive and well, even in an Islamic republic like Iran.
      One should not be put off by the propaganda about Iran. It is worth a visit and you’d be hard pressed to find more friendly people who frequently stop you just to say hello and ask where you are from and if you need assistance of any kind. Iranis are keenly aware and immensely proud of their culture; Persian roots of literature, architecture, and art. A history lesson is never far away if you show any slight glimpse of interest. The Iranis I met were very curious about what others think of them, knowing very well what kind of press they attract and their openness on this subject and many others (their direct questioning takes a bit of getting used to!) allows you to walk away with a clearer picture of what Iran and the Revolution are/were all about.
Women should not at all be worried about traveling in Iran. The same rules apply as they do in the Gulf, a lone woman will always be served first and attended to with the utmost respect and efficiency. As long as your hair is covered and you have the appropriate clothing, and the no-touch rule is respected between genders, you can expect your stay to be like anywhere else.

Mike has been in the UAE for 13 years, working as a biochemist at the FMHS, UAE University. He has contributed greatly to the knowledge of insects in the UAE. His own favourite group are the beetles (Coleoptera) although he has also written about moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) and many other arthropods. Over the years Mike has written many articles, describing new records to the UAE. Recently Mike has intensively studied the largest beetle that occurs in the UAE, a type of longhorn beetle. I joined him and his son Conrad (also a coleopterist) on an early morning beetle watch, and we found three of the desired beetle, all males. I was on my way to Dubai so took these with me to show my students. Hence, about 40 students benefitted from Mike's new collecting technique and the opportunity to see these beetles alive. A funny twist to the story came that evening when some folk had gathered at my home, including Mike and his son Conrad and we remembered the beetles. Fetching them and the nearest vessel I could find I handed all this to Mike who let out the beetles to show everyone. As it was now evening time these nocturnal insects had become very active and as soon as two were placed together in the vessel I had provided they began to fight. Mike and Conrad were very pleased to see this behaviour but were also worried about the beetles getting damaged so Mike put one on his arm and went to pick another up when...... lo and behold.. it grabbed his finger, biting him and drawing blood!!!! Mike shrieked and the vessel, a glass bowl, went flying through the air, crash-landing with a clang in a duet between splintering glass and a hurt cry from Mike! How about that for beetles getting their own back! In the spirit of Science Mike's first words after his recovery were: "Well, we've learnt something else about their behaviour now...". And it is that spirit that we'll all miss on our field trips and workshop meetings.

As most members will realise, Mike has been collecting and studying insects during the whole time he has been here and this has resulted in a reference collection of specimens. Mike has generously given the Al Ain Chapter of the ENHG this collection for safe keeping and use. The collection and observations made by Mike are invaluable and it is our intention to ensure that the specimens go to a safe permanent home, e.g. a natural history museum, one of these days. Hours of work have gone into preparing and curating the hundreds of specimens, and with it greater knowledge of what occurs in this part of the world. Everyone hears the mention of biodiversity. Biodiversity can only be measured once specimens have been recorded and reported. Mike's collection is important for many reasons, this being one of them. It is only possible to understand an ecosystem once all the species that exist within it are identified. Many insects are primary consumers and together with the primary producers (plants) form the basis of all other food chains and food webs. An understanding of what sustains these food webs makes it possible to understand, assess and advise on whether developments will have an adverse impact on animals that are under threat of extinction. Indeed, many insects are on danger lists due to habitat fragmentation and contributions such as Mike's are needed to understand distribution of such species. The Committee is indebted to Mike for the gift of the collection and together with all the members and everyone who is likely to benefit from the collection we would like to express a great big 'thank you'. We wish you well in your next adventure and look forward to many visits.