Elias Handal

A total of 79 species of local vertebrates (birds, mammals and reptiles) are found to be in illegal trade in the West Bank, Palestine during 2013-2020. Data were collected from visits to the animal markets in the main cities of the West Bank (Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Jericho, Nablus, Ramallah and Salfit) and from advertisements in social media. Bi...

This is the first report on the Geranium Bronze Butterfly, Cacyreus marshalli from the Palestinian Territories. This invasive species was collected from Bethlehem city from two locations in house gardens feeding on Pelargonium sp. and Geranium sp.

A total of 87 species of exotic birds belonging to seventeen families were found in trade in local Palestinian pets market (West Bank) between 2020 and 2022. A number of these species are illegal traded. Five species are listed as globally Endangered, three as Vulnerable and nine as Near Threatened. Seven species are listed in Appendix I of CITES,...

Background: Scorpionism (scorpion sting envenoming) is an endemic public health concern in many Arab Middle Eastern countries. However, our knowledge of the epidemiology of scorpion stings in the West Bank is limited. Aim: To investigate the epidemiology of scorpion stings in 4 districts of the West Bank over a specified period. Methods: We ob...

The situation in Palestine is of concern where global threats of climate change, overexploitation, habitat destruction, invasive species, and pollution are compounded by occupation and conflict. Thus, almost 1/3 rd of vascular plant species are rare and over 50 are listed as endangered or rare based on their abundance and presence in grids studied...

In this study, Phoracantha recurva (Family Cerambycidae), Myrrha octodecimguttata and Hyperaspis trifurcata (Family Coccinelidae) and Sitaris solieri (Family Meloidae) are reported for the first time from the Bethlehem district in the Palestinian territories (West Bank).

Specimen of Metafruticicola berytensis (Pfeiffer, 1841) was found in Ajoul Village in the Ramallah district in the occupied Palestinian territories – West Bank with Scalariform. This is considered the rst record of this malformation for this species. This specimen was collected during a survey to study the land snail of the West Bank between 2015 a...

A teratological case of the Seed Bug (Spilostethus pandurus) is recorded from the Mar Saba area in the Bethlehem District, Palestine. This anomaly appears on the pronotum, scutellum, corium, and the membrane part of the specimen, which seems to occur less often than antennal anomalies in true bugs (Heteroptera).

The Protected Area Network (PAN) in Palestine has undergone a comprehensive evaluation and revision to ensure its effectiveness in conserving biodiversity. This re-evaluation was necessary as the previous PAN lacked clear rationale and included areas designated for non-biological reasons. The evaluation process involved analysing the 50 areas in th...

Aims: The primary objective of the study was to gather evidence regarding the presence of black fly fauna in the Palestinian environment. The research extensively examined breeding sites and habitats, as well as studied the physiochemical parameters of the water in these breeding sites. Furthermore, the study assessed the potential impacts of these...

ABSTRACT Palestine is part of the Fertile Crescent and known to be rich in faunal and floral biodiversity relative to its latitude.The South Jerusalem hills with their ancient villages (collectively called the Al-Arqoub cluster) provide ideal areas forconservation within the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. The area was listed on an emergency ba...

A total of 14 species of freshwater snails are recorded from the Palestinian Territories (West Bank). They belong to seven families (Cochliopidae, Melanopsidae, Neritidae, Lymnaeidae, Physidae, Planorbidae, and Thiaridae) in eleven genera (Bulinus, Eupaludestrina, Heleobia, Galba, Melanoides, Melanopsis, Mieniplotia, Physella, Planorbella, Radix, a...

Vernal pools as temporary wetlands can harbor unique and interesting fauna and flora and are deserving of protection especially when urban expansion, climate change, and other human induced changes threaten them. A small vernal pool near Jinsafut and located in the buffer zone of a protected area of Wadi Qana was noted to have unique fauna and flor...

We thank two anonymous reviewers who helped edit and made suggestions to this manuscript. Abstract Research on chromosome evolution accumulated in the past three decades that seems to validate the hypothesis postulated that chromosome changes that increase or decrease of chromosome number are adaptive partly because they increase or decrease in var...

There has been increased interest in urban gardens and small botanical gardens as sites for conservation of plants especially in developing countries. This was highlighted by the fact that most countries failed to meet the CBD Aichi 2020 targets and will now restructure to address the post-2020 CBD framework. The situation in Palestine is of concer...

The invasive Common Myna Acridotheres tristis was first reported as an escape and breeding in one locality in the eastern Mediterranean region in 1997. In the 23 years since it has quickly spread to other regions. Here we report on localities it reached in the West Bank. From the spread of records and from earlier observations we conclude that this...

This is the first record of a symmetrical bifurcation and malformation in the tail of Festa’s skink, Ablepharus rueppellii, in the West Bank, Palestine.

The frst teratological case of Southern Green Stink Bug (Nezara virdula) from the Palestine Museum of Natural History botanical garden in Bethlehem, Palestine is reported. This anomaly appears on the pronotum, scutellum and the corium part of the species, and it seems to occur less in these morphological structures of true bugs (Heteroptera).

Eighteen molluscan and echinoderm elements comprising eleven Bivalvia, three Gastropoda, two Cephalopoda and two Echinoidea are described from a marl bed outcropping in the northern part of Beit Ummar, Hebron District, Palestine. This fossil community belongs to the Middle Cenomanian time and is similar to nearby macrofaunal assemblages in the East...

This is the first report of the invasive Western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910 (Hemiptera, Coreidae) from the Palestine geography representing its southern-most record in Asia. The record is from Wadi Al Makhrour, a valley considered as a key biodiversity area (KBA) and a UNESCO World Heritage site. L. occidentalis is a...

This is the first documented record of a bat ensnared by a plant in the Arab world. Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817), was caught on the Holy Hawksbeard, Picris altissima L. Delile, in Bethlehem, the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank).

A total of seventeen species of the order Mantodea were recorded from the Pal-estinian Territories belonging to five families (Empusidae, Eremiaphilidae, Manti-dae, Tarachodidae and Toxoderidae) and thirteen genera (Ameles, Blepharopsis, Empusa, Eremiaphila, Eremoplana, Holaptilon, Iris, Mantis, Microthespis, Mioman-tis, Pareuthyphlebs, Rivetina, a...

Flower chafers (Cetoniinae) were collected from several habitats in the Palestinian Territories (West Bank) during several field trips conducted by the team at the Palestine Museum of Natural History. Nine species in four genera (Aethiessa mesopotamica, Protaetia cuprea ignicollis, Protaetia funebris, Protaetia judith, Protaetia subpilosa, Oxythyre...

This project was performed with funding and supervision from the Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme (UNDP/GEF/SGP) by the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) and the Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) at Bethlehem University (BU) and with collaboration and consultation with the Environmental Qualit...

The diversity of the terrestrial snails of the Palestinian Territories was presented with a total of 42 species in 26 genera representing 15 families. Families Enidae and Hygromiidae had the highest number of species, while eight families were represented by only a single species. Species association was analyzed, and the biogeographical affinities...

Three families with thirteen species were collected/observed from 35 localities representing various habitats and water bodies in the West Bank (State of Palestine) over the past four years. These are Brachythemis impartita, Crocothemis erythraea, Orthetrum brunneum, O. chrysostigma, O. teniolatum, Sympetrum fonscolombii S. meridionale, Trithemis a...

This is the first report of Deroplax silphoides (Thunberg, 1783) (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) in the Palestinian Territories. This species was recorded by a survey conducted by the Palestine Museum of Natural History. D. silphoides is known as a pest of ornamental plants. It is considered as an invasive species and its distribution and damage poten...

We report on the collection of grasshoppers and locusts from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) studied at the nascent Palestine Museum of Natural History. Three hundred and forty specimens were collected during the 2013–2016 period. Forty species belonging to four families and ten subfamilies are recorded from various habitats. This is a r...

Unprecedented environmental challenges require new tools. Knowledge based on scientific research is critical for the creation of environmental awareness and education in order to bring about behavioural changes in society at large. Well-structured museums and botanical gardens in developing countries can play significant roles in research, educatio...

Distributional data for 36 species belonging to 13 families are presented for the reptiles of the Palestinian Territories. Scientific names were updated based on recent literature. This is the first account on the reptiles of West Bank (Palestinian Territories) and it addresses also challenges and needs for expanding such studies to serve as initia...

Abstract: The diet of the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) was studied in Wadi Al Makhrour, Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories in 201 5 with fresh and several year old pellets. Three species of arthropods, one reptile species, at least four bird species, and six species of mammals were recovered from the studied pellets. Black rat (Rattus rattus) was...

Butterflies were collected from 49 localities in the occupied West Bank of Jordan (Palestinian Territories). Fifty-four species were identified belonging to five families (Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae, and Nymphalidae) during 2013-2015. The three most common butterflies observed and collected were the small White Pieris rapae, th...

Butterflies were collected from 49 localities in the occupied West Bank of Jordan (Palestinian Territories). Fifty-four species were identified belonging to five families (Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae, and Nymphalidae) during 2013-2015. The three most common butterflies observed and collected were the small White Pieris rapae, th...

This study contributes to the taxonomy and distribution of the freshwater snail fauna in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. A total of 10 species of freshwater snails belonging to five families (Neritidae, Melanopsidae, Lym-naeidae, Physidae and Thiaridae) in seven genera (Galba, Haitia, Lymnaea, Melanoides, Melanopsis, Pseudoplotia and Theodoxu...