Almost4x4

Great photo's [mention]Rashidjass[/mention]. This is locally known as a Dhab, or Spiny Tailed Lizard. Grows up to 65cm long and can share its borrow with snakes and scorpions! Generally placid but if cornered can give a painful blow with its spiny tail or nasty bite with its tooth less jaws which have sharp bone plates! I see many out walking my dog in the Al Qudra area. They generally scamper back into their borrow while I am fumbling with my phone trying to get a photo!

Took this picture in our trip Jamboree Reloaded....

Saw this very colorful insect in the Al Qudra desert today. First time I have come across such a bug. Any ideas what it is or where it could be from?

[mention]Dave[/mention]
My friend Conrad Gillett was the beetles curator at the National History Museum in London.

He thanks you for the photos and says:
"The colourful "bug" is indeed a true bug (order Hemiptera). This is actually a nymph and not the adult."
He says that he is going to look it up further.

About the black beetle that you posted in November:
"This is the "giant Arabian longhorn beetle", Anthracocentrus arabicus. This is a female specimen, clearly found dead. The species is pretty rare and I would like to know exactly where it was found if possible? It is normally associated with areas containing "ghaf" trees. The beetles are only active between September and November, so this specimen was from last year's generation. It is certainly the largest beetle in the UAE (10cm would be a maximum size, I think this one is a little smaller than that but still big). The females are much less frequently seen than the males, which have big jaws for fighting. If you want to read more about it, I wrote about it on the Natural History Museum website here:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/spec ... index.html
Please do try to find out exactly when and where it was collected!
Here's a newspaper article about the beetle - my father is the world authority on the species!
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news ... ant-beetle
P.S. the longhorn beetle is certainly NOT the second largest beetle, as has been widely misquoted from something my father wrote! There are many species that are bigger, but it is nonetheless still an impressive insect!"

To everyone:
If you guys see any beetles, could you please collect them for me and I'll pass them over to him? Try to note the coordinates and exact date / time of collection.

He also said that from now until about May is one of the best seasons for insects, especially if there has been a bit of rain!

Such an informative post Melfi! Thank you so much. Ironically I had posted a photo of the True Bug to the Natural History Museum and they informed me it was from the Shield Bug family. I wasn't convinced and also posted it on an American forum and they said exactly what your friend Mr Gillette stated. I found both the True Bug and the Long Horn Beetle in the Al Qudra desert. There are many Ghaf trees inside the area hence an abundance of insect life. I did not have a tape on me to measure the remains of the beetle I came across back in November but used a pen as reference to measure later and it was pretty much 10cm long!

I walk that area a few times a week with my dog so will try gather more shots of anything unusual I may see. I will be armed with a tape measure towards year end in the hope of finding another giant beetle out there!

Dave wrote:I will be armed with a tape measure towards year end in the hope of finding another giant beetle out there!

No need for the tape. Just place next to your findings a typical object, before taking a shot, that everybody has in his pocket, like 100 USD or 500 Euro note.
graffiti

Dave wrote:I will be armed with a tape measure towards year end in the hope of finding another giant beetle out there!

Dave, if you could actually collect the specimens themselves (dead or alive), it would be great! I'll get them sent over to him. He has 2 specimens with his name too. :D

Dave wrote: I walk that area a few times a week with my dog so will try gather more shots of anything unusual I may see. I will be armed with a tape measure towards year end in the hope of finding another giant beetle out there!

Dave, if you could actually collect the specimens themselves (dead or alive), it would be great! I'll get them sent over to him. He has 2 specimens with his name too. :D

I just read the full article:
"Males outnumber females by six to one, and live for about one month. Females live only a couple of days. But the short life span of the female, combined with the predominance of males, ensures efficient breeding."
wtfsmilie

Females live for 2 days, just to get raped and die! sad