A new species of the genus Colilodion Besuchet, 1991 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Mindanao, the Philippines

Hlaváč, Peter, Vondráček, Dominik, Mohagan, Alma B. (2018): A new species of the genus Colilodion Besuchet, 1991 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Mindanao, the Philippines. Zootaxa 4370 (5): 562-568, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4370.5.

Philautus (Bush Frogs) Species from Montane Forest of Marilog District, Davao City, Southern Mindanao, Philippines

Despite herpetological surveys conducted in Mindanao, scanty data are known about the Philautus species in montane forests as well as its account in southern Mindanao. Species accounts of Philautus sampled from the montane forest of Marilog District in Southern Mindanao with notes on it microhabitats were provided. Belt-transect sampling and microhabitat searches were employed in three different sites. A total of 124 individuals representing four species of Philautus were accounted, three of which are currently known only from forested areas of Mindanao. Philautus acutirostris is the most encountered species. Thirty-four genera of plants associated with microhabitats of Philautus species were accounted. Although the majority of the frog individuals appear to use the plants for perching, other notable activities were also noticed. Further observations may reveal data that will unravel other significant roles of these associated plants in microhabitats of Philautus species

Diversity and Status of Butterflies in Awasian Water Forest Reserve, Mt. Hilong-hilong, Philippines

Butterflies are deemed as an essential faunal group in the ecosystem due to their ecological services. However, continuous habitat loss leads to the decline of its population. Thus, this study was conducted to assess its diversity and status in one of the Watersheds of Mt. Hilong-hilong. Sweep netting (336 man-hours) and butterfly trapping (200 trap days) were carried out to document the species. Fifty-seven species of butterflies were recorded with the family Nymphalidae as the most represented group (n = 30). Species diversity (H') was relatively higher in Dipterocarp (H' = 1.49) forest than Agroecosystem (H' = 1.39), a result primarily influenced by favorable ecological support like food availability. Endemicity was 31%, which comprised mostly of rare species. Noteworthy findings are the listing of globally and nationally rare species but locally assessed as common. Based on the results, the area harbors an array of butterfly species and various rare species that requires an effective management plan to conserve the organisms

Species Richness and Endemism of Zingiberaceae in Cinchona Forest Reserve, Lantapan, Bukidnon, Philippines

This study was carried out to provide information on species richness and endemism of Zingiberaceae in Cinchona Forest Reserve, Kaatuan, Lantapan, Bukidnon, Philippines. Transect walks, opportunistic sampling and collection within the sampling quadrats were conducted along established forest trails to collect ginger species. A total of 11 species of Zingiberaceae were documented belonging to two subfamilies (Alpinioideae and Zingiberoideae) and three tribes (Alpinieae, Hedychieae, and Zingibereae). The species recorded include Adelmeria alpina Elmer, Alpinia haenkei C.Presl, A. rufa C.Presl, Etlingera fimbriobracteata (K.Schum.) R.M.Sm., E. pubimarginata (Elmer) A.D.Poulsen, Hedychium philippinense K.Schum., Hornstedtia conoidea Ridl., H. lophophora Ridl., Meistera muricarpa (Elmer) Škorničk. & M.F.Newman, Zingiber banahaoense Mood & Theilade, and Zingiber sp. Of these, H. philippinense is the only threatened species recorded. All species are endemic to the Philippines except for E. fimbriobracteata which is native to Borneo and Zingiber sp. which is unidentified to the species level. These species represent 41% of the total genera and 9% of the total species of Zingiberaceae in the Philippines. The high endemicity (82%) in the total collected species in this study and the presence of a threatened species in this area calls for protection and conservation by the stakeholders

Richness and distribution of reptiles and amphibians in the tropical lowland habitats of Mt. Agad-Agad, Iligan City, Southern Philippines

Knowledge of Philippine herpetofauna is progressively increasing. However, there are still areas in the country that are poorly understood and remain unexplored, particularly in the southern Philippines. Mt. Agad-Agad in Iligan City (Lanao del Norte Province) is a secondary lowland evergreen tropical rainforest in the southern portion of the northern Mindanao region, popular with the general public and a biologically important mountain ecosystem. Herein, we present the species richness and distribution of herpetofauna using standardized sampling methods. We documented 37 species of amphibians and reptiles, recording 20 Philippine-endemic species, three exotic anurans, two threatened reptiles, and one unidentified species of lizard. Species richness was higher in a mixed agricultural area (18 species, n = 108 individuals) compared to secondary growth forest (17 species, n = 86 individuals). This research provides baseline information on the herpetofauna from Mt. Agad-Agad, and additional herpetological knowledge on the distribution and ecology of amphibians and reptiles from the northern Mindanao region

Avifaunal assemblage in the expansion sites of the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mindanao, Philippines

The Protected Area of the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS) was proposed for expansion in 2016 to protect the remaining biodiversity of the buffer zones and to fortify the core zone. This study provides data on avifaunal assemblage and assessment on the added value of the ca. 2.99 km2 MHRWS expansion sites to the already protected zone. A combination of transect line survey and mist netting technique were used to sample bird species in four sampling sites in the MHRWS expansion sites. Our inventory of the MHRWS expansion sites revealed 41 species of birds distributed to 10 orders, 24 families and 34 genera. This adds 24 avifauna species to the previously reported birds in Mt. Hamiguitan Range making it a home to 83 species. The low species diversity in the MHRWS expansion sites could be attributed to the poor soil, low forest productivity and habitat loss. The presence of threatened and endemic species of birds in the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary expansion sites appeals for conservation initiatives by the stakeholders

Species Composition and Assessment of Sphingidae in Mt. Agad-Agad, Iligan City, Philippines

Sphingidae (Hawkmoth or Sphinxmoth) is a known bioindicator that is naturally af-fected by environmental issues such as deforestation and pollution. Members of this family are widely distributed in Southeast Asia and play vital roles as indicators of habitat quality and biomass degradation. This study highlights the diversity and as-sessment of hawkmoths of Mt. Agad-Agad (Sitio Langinlanon, Barangay Puga-an) on Iligan City. Two sampling stations were established, the upper and lower Mt. Agad-Agad. Light trap sampling using 2 ×3 m2white silk cloth and 500 watts light bulb was established in selected points of the sampling stations. Six species belong-ing to four genera were recorded of which two species, Acosmeryx socratesand Pol-yptychus trilineatusphilippinensis, were found very rare in the area. Station 2 (lower Mt. Agad-Agad) had the highest number of species recorded compared to Station 1 (upper Mt. Agad-Agad). However, there is no significant difference between the two (t=0.59, critical t=2.2281, p=0.56) sampling stations in terms of species composi-tion. Moreover, two species from the genus Ambulyxare the endemic species ob-served, viz, A. bakeriand A. wilemani

Heth impalutiensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Ransomnematoidea: Hethidae) a millipede parasite from Central Mindanao, Philippines

Malysheva, Svetlana V., Mohagan, Alma B., Spiridonov, Sergei E. (2015): Heth impalutiensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Ransomnematoidea: Hethidae) a millipede parasite from Central Mindanao, Philippines. Zootaxa 3926 (1): 100-110, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3926.1.

Urolabida graziae, new urostylidid species from the Philippines with comments on the current taxonomy and systematics of the family (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Urostylididae)

A new species of Urostylididae from the Philippine islands (Mindanao) is here in described. This new species, similar to Urolabida bipunctata Stål, 1871, differs from the latter in the shape of the external male genitalia. Urolabida bipunctata and the new species, Urolabida graziae Roca-Cusachs, sp. nov., are extremely similar in external appearance, and fit into the (incomplete) description of genus Urolabida Westwood, 1837. The examination and comparison with the type specimens of other Urostylididae species, especially the male genital capsule, clearly separates this two species from Urolabida tenera Westwood, 1837, the type species of the genus Urolabida, however the taxonomy of this group is not resolved and needs a deep revision, therefore we refrain from description of a new genus-group taxon here. Additionally, images of the type specimens of Urolabida tenera, Urostylis histrionica Westwood, 1837, and Urostylis punctigeraWestwood, 1837, are provided and discussion on the current systematics and classification of the family, and particularly of genus Urolabida are also given.This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) through Exotic Invasive Species Management Program, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) (2018002270005) and by a grant from the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR), funded by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of the Republic of Korea (NIBR202003102).Peer reviewe

Presence of the four-spined pygmy devil, Arulenus validispinus (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae), confirmed in Bukidnon region on the island of Mindanao, Philippines

The four-spined pygmy devil (Arulenus validispinus Stål, 1877) is an endemic species to the Philippines. It was described more than 140 years ago from a single female specimen. Since its description, only a single new record was known, reported by Skejo from the Lanao region in 2017 and based on a specimen from eBay. Here, we record the species from the Bukidnon Mountains. We present measurements of a male and a female we collected, with the description of the species morphology and habitat. This species differs from its congeneric Mia’s pygmy devil (A. miae Skejo & Caballero, 2016) by the sharp dorsal and lateral spines