Irkaya Farm is located off the Abu Samra Road about 50 kilometers west of Doha in the south central plain of Qatar. Irkaya sits like a glowing emerald in the middle of the desert. It is home to many resident species and lies on the flight path of migratory birds and insects passing through Qatar. It can even be seen from space on satellite maps. The fields consist of sandy and loamy topsoil on a flat, sandy plain with water-worn pebbles. The rest of the terrain is low, rocky limestone upland with scattered boulders and sparse vegetation. All native species of plant at Irkaya benefit from the absence of grazing animals.
Cerastes gasperettii
Cynodon dactylon
Junonia [= Precis] orithya
Plantago coronopus
Agrius convolvuli
Lepus capensis
Varanus griseus
Lycium shawii
Paraechinus aethiopicus
Pyrrhocoris apterus
Cenchrus ciliaris
Melilotus indicus
Mellivora capensis
Malpolon moilensis
Mus musculus
Malva parviflora
Jaculus jaculus
Vanessa [=Cynthia] cardui
Emex spinosa
Vulpes vulpes arabica
Vulpes rueppellii sabaea
Neurada procumbens
Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis
Hemianax ephippiger
Aristida abnormis
Diplacodes lefbvrei
Salsola imbricata
Cuscuta pedicellata
Sinapis arvensis
Lotus halophilus
Colias croceus
Trapelus flavimaculatus
Heliotropium bacciferum
Arnebia hispidissima
Eruca vesicaria
Polypogon monspeliensis
Erucaria hispanica
Danaus (Anosia) chrysippus