1. The Dragon’s Blood Tree, Dracaena cinnabari

2. Ant Fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Socotra Island, Yemen, Diversity & Faunal Analysis Mostafa R. Sharaf Economic Entomology Research Unit (EERU) Associate Professor, Plant Protection Department 2015

3. Geography Yemen's Socotra Island is one of the largest islands of the Indian Ocean archipelagos (3650 km 2 ) (more than 4.5 times Bahrain area) lying approximately 240 km east of the Horn of Africa and 480 km south of the Arabian Coast. The Island approximately 110 km long and 35 km wide The archipelagos is a group of islands including: other main islands in the group are i- Main islands ii-Abd al Kuri, iii-Semhah, iv-Darsa. Abd al Kuri is the closest to the African mainland, only 90 km away. (Varisco 1993)

4. Geological History Its separation from Africa is believed to have occurred approximately six million years ago, therefore, many animals and plants that live today on the island are endemic species. KOSSMAT (1907) characterized Socotra as one of the "most isolated pieces of land" in the history of Earth. Others are considering Socotra as a “living Laboratory” which has preserved intact unique endemic ecosystems.

5. 50,000 450 100 Census of 2004 8,545 3,862 Population

6. People and their lives. a.Fishing. b.Grazing. c. Trade

7. Biological Diversity and Biogeography Scientists described Socotra as “the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean.” The reason is that social and biological isolation created a rich and unique environment Socotra is positioned near the junction of the world's major bio-geographical regions, - Afrotropical (Ethiopian), - Oriental and - Palearctic.

8. a. Flora Over 850 species of plants have been found on Socotra. The Dragon’s Blood Tree, Dracaena cinnabari, is the most famous of the 300 endemic species and dominates the skyline on many of the limestone foothills.

9. b. Fauna. 182 species of birds. 24 species of reptiles on Socotra of which 21 are endemic. 7 terrestrial mammals, most of which are introduced. 18 species of ants, one of which is endemic.

10. History of myrmecological studies Collingwood et al. (2004) reported 18 species and described a new species endemic for the Island.

11. Why this study? a. Comprehensive inventory for ant fauna. b. Faunal elements analysis and faunal similarities.

12. RESULTS a.New species. i. Syllophosis abdeldayemi sp. n.

13. iii. Monomorium alghazali sp. n. Mohammed Al Ghazali (1917-1996)

14. ii. Tetramorium sp. n.

15. b. New records. i. Cardiocondyla minutior Forel, 1899

16. ii. Monomorium atomum Forel, 1902

17. iii. Brachyponera punctatissim (Roger, 1859)

18. iv. Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793)

19. Biogeographic affinities

20. Endemic, Native & Introduced elements

21. What is next?

22. Biomap of ants of Socotra Island using GIS Prediction of the recorded species

23. Acknowledgements Special thanks to Plant Protection Department Prof. Yousef Aldryhim (Chair of EERU), Prof. Abdulrahman Aldawood (Vice chair) Prof. AbdulAziz Alqarni Prof. Hathal Al Dhafer for their support. Without their help, this study could not have been completed. Thanks to Dr. Brian Fisher (California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco) for photographing specimens.

24. Thank you!