The land snails of Sungai Rawog Conservation Area, Telupid, Sabah, Malaysia

This paper presents the first checklist of land snails of Sungai Rawog Conservation Area (SRCA). The specimens of land snails were collected from 12 standard sampling plots and several random locations in the SRCA between 9th and 11th August 2018. A total of 101 specimens were collected that consists of 21 species from ten Families. The number of species various among plots of different trails. The number of species of the five plots that located around Trail No. 6, 7, 8 and 9 range between seven and ten species. On the other hand, each of the six plots that located around Trail No. 1, 2, 3, and 11 has no more than 2 species, with exception of Plot 7 at Trail No. 11 with 10 species. The plots with low number of species are also have relatively low land snail abundance and missing of many micro-snail species (< 5mm) as compare to the plot with high number of species. Overall, the species assemblage and diversity are similar to the previous sampling done in other non-limestone forest reserves in the east coast of Sabah

Amalan kualiti MOOC Malaysia

Dasar e-Pembelajaran Negara (DePAN) untuk Pengajian Tinggi Awam dan Swasta (IPTA & IPTS) telah dilancarkan pada 16 April 2011 oleh YAB Menteri Pengajian Tinggi. Dasar ini dibangunkan khusus untuk menyokong Pelan Strategik Pendidikan Tinggi Negara (PSPTN) untuk menyediakan satu kerangka e-Pembelajaran berkualiti bertujuan membangunkan modal insan bertaraf dunia melalui penggunaan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi. DePAN mempunyai lima tunggak iaitu Infrastruktur, Struktur Organisasi, Kurikulum dan e- Kandungan, Perkembangan Profesional dan Pembudayaan. Setiap tunggak ini pula mempunyai bidang fokus dan juga aktiviti yang perlu dilaksanakan mengikut tiga fasa pelaksanaan, iaitu Fasa Awal (2011-2012), Fasa Pelaksanaan (2013 - 2014) dan Fasa Matang (2015)

A checklist of land snails from the west coast islands of Sabah, Borneo (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

Sabah, situated in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, has the largest number of islands in Malaysia with more than 500 of various sizes and degrees of isolation. However, information on the islands’ biodiversity is limited. This study provides an up-to-date checklist of land snail species found on 24 west coast islands in Sabah. A total of 67 species (nearly 20% of the total number of land snail species in the state) representing 37 genera and 19 families is enumerated based on systematic field surveys of 133 sampling plots, BORNEENSIS database records and species checklists published between 2000 and 2016. The number of species on the islands ranges from four to 29. Labuan Island has the highest number of species (29), followed by Tiga Island (25), Mantanani Besar Island (24) and Gaya Island (23). However, the populations of some land snail species may have declined as several previously recorded species on the islands were not found in a recent systematic field sampling. This checklist is provided as a baseline inventory for future island land snail studies and to better inform biodiversity conservation plans of marine parks and other islands on the Sabah west coast

Cryptic diversity: Two morphologically similar species of invasive apple snail in Peninsular Malaysia

Invasive snails in the genus Pomacea have spread across Southeast Asia including Peninsular Malaysia. Their effects on natural and agricultural wetlands are appreciable, but species-specific effects are less clear because of morphological similarity among the species. Our objective was to establish diagnostic characteristics of Pomacea species in Malaysia using genetic and morphological criteria. The mitochondrial COI gene of 52 adult snails from eight localities in Peninsular Malaysia was amplified, sequenced, and analysed to verify species and phylogenetic relationships. Shells were compared using geometric morphometric and covariance analyses. Two monophyletic taxa, P. canaliculata and P. maculata, occurred in our samples. The mean ratio of shell height: aperture height (P = 0.042) and shell height: shell width (P = 0.007) was smaller in P. maculata. P. maculata co-occurred with P. canaliculata in five localities, but samples from three localities contained only P.canaliculata. This study is the first to confirm the presence of two of the most invasive species of Pomacea in Peninsular Malaysia using a molecular technique. P. canaliculata appears to be the more widespread species. Despite statistical differences, both quantitative and qualitative morphological characteristics demonstrated much interspecific overlap and intraspecific variability; thus, shell morphology alone cannot reliably verify species identity. Molecular techniques for distinguishing between these two highly invasive Pomacea species are needed to understand their specific ecological niches and to develop effective protocols for their management

Investigating leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) on the west coast islands of Sabah via checklist-taking and DNA barcoding

Sabah is a province of Malaysia located on the northern part of the island of Borneo. Most of the leaf beetle fauna studies from this region conducted over the past 15 years have focussed on the mainland habitats while the leaf beetle fauna from island habitats (ca. 500 islands) have largely been overlooked. This study looks into the leaf beetle fauna of 13 small satellite islands off the west coast of Sabah. All specimens were first sorted into morpho-species operational taxonomic unit (OTU) before being identified to species rank where possible based on morphological characters and species names assigned when the specimens fitted the description of species in the literature. We collected 75 OTUs from 35 genera and five subfamilies according to morphology, 12 of which were identifiable to species level. In addition, the DNA barcode for each OTU was cross checked with records in GenBank and Barcoding of Life Data system (BOLD) to verify their identity. The number of species recorded was reduced from 12 species and 63 OTUs (total 75 OTUs) to 12 species and 56 OTUs (total 68 OTUs) after removal of the colour polymorphic species based on DNA barcode analyses. Pulau Gaya has the highest species richness and Pulau Sulug has the lowest species richness. A total of 64 Barcode Index Numbers consisting of 101 DNA barcodes were obtained from the 12 leaf beetle species and 48 OTUs. Based on the DNA barcode analyses, it was possible to confirm several polymorphic OTUs and cryptic species. The mean intraspecific and interspecific genetic divergence were determined as 0.77% and 16.11%, respectively. DNA barcodes of this study show a low similarity with records in GenBank and BOLD, highlighting the lack of representation and the urgency of studying leaf beetles from this region. The study provides the first documentation of leaf beetle fauna from island habitats of Sabah and the first DNA barcoding data for leaf beetles from this part of the world, with the next steps being larger scale sampling over a wider geographical scale for a better understanding of tropical arthropod diversity

Investigating leaf beetles (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) on the west coast islands of Sabah via checklist-taking and DNA barcoding

Sabah is a province of Malaysia located on the northern part of the island of Borneo. Most of the leaf beetle fauna studies from this region conducted over the past 15 years have focussed on the mainland habitats while the leaf beetle fauna from island habitats (ca. 500 islands) have largely been overlooked. This study looks into the leaf beetle fauna of 13 small satellite islands off the west coast of Sabah. All specimens were first sorted into morpho-species operational taxonomic unit (OTU) before being identified to species rank where possible based on morphological characters and species names assigned when the specimens fitted the description of species in the literature. We collected 75 OTUs from 35 genera and five subfamilies according to morphology, 12 of which were identifiable to species level. In addition, the DNA barcode for each OTU was cross checked with records in GenBank and Barcoding of Life Data system (BOLD) to verify their identity. The number of species recorded was reduced from 12 species and 63 OTUs (total 75 OTUs) to 12 species and 56 OTUs (total 68 OTUs) after removal of the colour polymorphic species based on DNA barcode analyses. Pulau Gaya has the highest species richness and Pulau Sulug has the lowest species richness. A total of 64 Barcode Index Numbers consisting of 101 DNA barcodes were obtained from the 12 leaf beetle species and 48 OTUs. Based on the DNA barcode analyses, it was possible to confirm several polymorphic OTUs and cryptic species. The mean intraspecific and interspecific genetic divergence were determined as 0.77% and 16.11%, respectively. DNA barcodes of this study show a low similarity with records in GenBank and BOLD, highlighting the lack of representation and the urgency of studying leaf beetles from this region. The study provides the first documentation of leaf beetle fauna from island habitats of Sabah and the first DNA barcoding data for leaf beetles from this part of the world, with the next steps being larger scale sampling over a wider geographical scale for a better understanding of tropical arthropod diversity

Sexual dimorphism in shell size of the land snail Leptopoma perlucidum (Caenogastropoda: Cyclophoridae)

Sexual dimorphism in the shell size and shape of land snails has been less explored compared to that of other marine and freshwater snail taxa. This study examined the differences in shell size and shape across both sexes of Leptopoma perlucidum land snails. We collected 84 land snails of both sexes from two isolated populations on two islands off Borneo. A total of five shell size variables were measured: (1) shell height, (2) shell width, (3) shell spire height, (4) aperture height, and (5) aperture width. We performed frequentist and Bayesian t-tests to determine if there was a significant difference between the two sexes of L. perlucidum on each of the five shell measurements. Additionally, the shell shape was quantified based on nine landmark points using the geometric morphometric approach. We used generalised Procrustes and principal component analyses to test the effects of sex and location on shell shape. The results showed that female shells were larger than male shells across all five measurements (all with p-values < 0.05), but particularly in regards to shell height and shell width. Future taxonomic studies looking to resolve the Leptopoma species’ status should consider the variability of shell size caused by sexual dimorphism

Land snails and slugs of Bau limestone hills, Sarawak (Malaysia, Borneo), with the descriptions of13 new species

"is study presents a list of land snails and slugs found on limestone hills in the District of Bau, the state of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. Systematic and random sampling for land snails was conducted at eight limestone outcrops, namely, Gunung Stulang, Padang Pan, Gunung Kapor, Gunung Lobang Angin, Gunung Doya, Gunung Batu, Bukit Sekunyit and Gunung Sebayat. A total of 122 land snail species was documented with photographs of each species. Of the 122 species collected, 13 are new to science, namely, Acmella bauensissp. nov., Japonia bauensissp. nov., Plectostoma margaretchanaesp. nov., Micro-cystina arabiisp. nov., Microcystina atonisp. nov., Microcystina paripari sp. nov., Microcystina liratasp. nov., Microcystina oswaldbrakenisp. nov., Microcystina kilatsp. nov., Philalanka jambusanensissp. nov., Everettia microrhytidasp. nov., Everettia minutasp. nov., and Paralaoma sarawakensissp. nov

Balnnophora reflexa Beccari, A new record for Mahua, Crocker Range, Sabah Parks, Sabah Malaysia

The root parasitic plant Balanophora retlexa Beccari is reported for the first time from Mahua, Crocker Range, Sabah Parks, Sabah though it has been reported to be found around Mount Kinabalu, Kinabalu Park, Sabah. In Mahua, on Crocker Range at an elevation of 1050 m asl, the Balanophora reflexa was found on the roots of host plants covered with humus topsoil which in turn was covered with leaf litter in the shady part of the tropical forest. The male and female flowers grow from different clumps and are usually found to be not so close to each other. The flowers exude a smell similar to that of Pandanus amaryIlifulius, which can be a strong indicator of its presence in the area. In addition to the morphological description, we sequenced a fragment of internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA