Plant Association of Lanternflies(Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) from Malaysian Borneo

The family Fulgoridae is known for their distinct morphological structures and striking colouration. Despite so, comprehensive documentation of insect-plant interaction from this charismatic family is greatly scarce. Presented here are records of plant association across four species of Fulgoridae from Malaysian Borneo. The current study was based on voucher specimens and field samplings from selected localities in Sarawak and Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. A total of 11 species of plants belonging to 11 genera and nine families were recorded. Three fulgorid species namely Penthicodes quadrimaculata, Pyrops intricatusand Py. sultanusshares the same host plant being the mata kucing fruit tree(Dimocarpus longan ssp.malesianus). The most speciose insect-plant association belongs to Pe. farinosa and Py. sultanus with six species documented. This is the first record of host plants reported for Py.intricatus, Pe. farinosa and Pe. quadrimaculatain Malaysian Borneo

Checklist of the Family Acrididae MacCleay, 1821 (Orthoptera) Based on Voucher Specimens of Major Repositories in Sarawak

Acrididae is a family of insects consisting of the short-horned grasshoppers and locusts. Currently, knowledge on the faunistic composition of family Acrididae in Sarawak is still scarce. This study aimed to determine the species composition and to provide a current checklist of acridid fauna in Sarawak, using voucher specimens from Insect Reference Collection of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UIRC), and Research, Development and Innovation Division (RDID) of Forest Department Sarawak. A total of 925 specimens of acridid were examined, representing 5 subfamilies, 17 genera and 22 species. Subfamily Catantopinae was recorded with the highest number of species (8 genera; 10 species), followed by Oedipodinae (4 genera; 4 species), Cyrtacanthacridinae (2 genera; 3 species), Oxyinae (2 genera; 3 species), and Acridinae (1 genus; 2 species). The most abundant species was Traulia azureipennis followed by Valanga nigricornis. The least abundant species were Coloracris coerulescens, Coloracris sp., Craneopsis olivacea, Perakia borneensis and Phalaca waterstradti, which is represented by a singleton. This study serves as a fundamental data which will aid future taxonomic and ecological studies on Acrididae in Malaysia, particularly Sarawak

Checklist of the Family Acrididae MacCleay, 1821 (Orthoptera) Based on Voucher Specimens of Major Repositories in Sarawak

Acrididae is a family of insects consisting of the short-horned grasshoppers and locusts. Currently, knowledge on the faunistic composition of family Acrididae in Sarawak is still scarce. This study aimed to determine the species composition and to provide a current checklist of acridid fauna in Sarawak, using voucher specimens from Insect Reference Collection of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UIRC), and Research, Development and Innovation Division (RDID) of Forest Department Sarawak. A total of 925 specimens of acridid were examined, representing 5 subfamilies, 17 genera and 22 species. Subfamily Catantopinae was recorded with the highest number of species (8 genera; 10 species), followed by Oedipodinae (4 genera; 4 species), Cyrtacanthacridinae (2 genera; 3 species), Oxyinae (2 genera; 3 species), and Acridinae (1 genus; 2 species). The most abundant species was Traulia azureipennis followed by Valanga nigricornis. The least abundant species were Coloracris coerulescens, Coloracris sp., Craneopsis olivacea, Perakia borneensis and Phalaca waterstradti, which is represented by a singleton. This study serves as a fundamental data which will aid future taxonomic and ecological studies on Acrididae in Malaysia, particularly Sarawak

First Record of Samsama chersonesia chersonesia Distant, 1906 (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) from Borneo

The only known distribution for the subspecies Samsama chersonesia chersonesia Distant, 1906 was in Perak and Cameron Highlands, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia. This paper provides the first distributional record for the subspecies in Sarawak and Sabah, Borneo. A total of 17 individuals were documented based on voucher specimens from three repositories in Sarawak and Sabah, namely Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Insect Reference Collection (UIRC), Research Development and Innovation Division, Forest Department Sarawak (RDID), and Sabah Parks Entomological Museum (SPM). This discovery denotes that this subspecies occurs in Sundaland: Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo

Preliminary checklist of Rhopalocera (Lepidoptera) in Libiki Bamboo Resort, Bau, Sarawak, Malaysia

A preliminary study was conducted on the diversity of Rhopalocera (lepidopterans) butterfly fauna present in secondary forest of Libiki Bamboo Resort (LBR), Bau, Sarawak, Malaysia, due to the anthropogenic effect of human disturbance. The objectives of this study are to establish with a preliminary checklist of Rhopalocera and their species diversity in the mentioned resort and recorded its conservation status. Furthermore, this study work was performed to narrow the gap of knowledge regarding the diversity of Rhopalocera in Bau area, as no survey had been conducted in LBR previously. Twenty baited traps (passive method) and five ariel nets (active method) were used to collect Rhopalocera. Baited traps were placed along the trail and set up 100 m from each other with pineapple as bait, where aerial nets were used during day time, once in the morning and once in the evening, with a total sampling effort of 240 hours. A total of 183 butterflies from six families (Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae and Riodinidae) belonging to 63 species under 35 genera were successfully collected and recorded. The most abundance individuals collected and identified were from the family Nymphalidae (75.4%, n = 138), whereas family Hesperiidae was the least family collected (0.5%, n = 1). Based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status, one species, Euploea mulciber was found to be a vulnerable species, while most of the species recorded were categorised as data deficient status (84.13%, 53 species). Hence, it is recommended to conduct multiple similar studies to provide more adequate information for a more accurate update on the conservation status of Rhopalocera species in Malaysia

Systematics and Phylogeny of the Short-horned Grasshoppers and Locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) of Malaysian Borneo

Family Acrididae encompassed of the short-horned grasshoppers and locusts belonging to the suborder Caelifera with over 28 subfamilies, 1,400 genera and 6,700 valid species described, distributed across the world. However, knowledge on the phylogeny and systematics of the family were still lacking in the Bornean region, although other documentations relation to their composition, diversity and ecology have been reported. Most studies on phylogeny and systematics of Acrididae were centralised on the Western world. Plus, the relationship between members of the family had always been ambiguous as family Acrididae were used as the taxonomic dumping group for aberrant species, thus leading to conflicting taxonomic theories by different researchers. Thus, the goal of this study is to describe the species within family Acrididae in Malaysian Borneo, record their distributions and build taxonomic keys for the family represented by the eastern region of Malaysia. Next, this study aims to construct the phylogeny within subfamilies of Acrididae from Malaysian Borneo by using morphological data. The systematics study was based on an examination of voucher specimens from several different institutions in Malaysian Borneo, as well as new collections. A total of 1,216 acridoid specimens represented by 28 species of 20 genera from five subfamilies were successfully examined, with no new species recorded. Phylogenetic analysis using neighbour-joining and maximum parsimony consisting of 100 morphological characters coded based on 28 ingroups and two outgroups (Pyrgomorphidae) were performed using Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (*and Other Methods) (PAUP*) and Tree Analysis Using New Technology (TNT) software. The result deduced a monophyletic Acrididae when rooted with the sister group, Pyrgomorphidae, although paraphyly were rampant throughout subfamily Acridinae, Catantopinae, Cyrtacanthacridinae, and Oedipodinae, while Oxyinae was deduced to be monophyletic on the basal position of the clade. Additionally, systematics revision based on 28 species of 20 genera were presented. Dichotomous key to the subfamilies of Acrididae based on comparative morphology study, as well as habitus-coloured photographs and geological distribution maps for all species documented in Malaysian Borneo were provided. The outcomes of this study were hoped to benefit in providing baseline data for taxon sampling in future studies, adding new insights on the phylogenetic relationships between subfamilies of Acrididae based on sampled taxa in Malaysian Bornean region, as well as revising the documentation of the family recorded from Sabah and Sarawak while contributing worthwhile knowledge to the studies of Acrididae worldwide

Systematics and Species Composition of the Short-horned Grasshoppers and Locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) of Sarawak

This study provides a systematic account of the family Acrididae (Orthoptera) of Sarawak based on the voucher specimens allocated in the Forest Research Centre Sarawak and UNIMAS Insect Reference Collection. A total of24 species from 18 genera representing six subfamilies of acrid ids were known to occur in Sarawak based on 712 specimens examined from both institutions. Traulia azureipennis was found to be the most abundant species with 130 individuals (18.26% of total individuals) assessed, followed by Va/anga nigricornis (15.87%), Xenocatantops humilis (11.94%) and Oxya japonica japonica (9.97%). lucretilis sp. could be considered as a rare species of acridids in Sarawak being represented by only one individual (0.14%). The most diverse ecological habitat was mixed dipterocarp forest as it consists of20 species out of 24 species documented inhabiting the area. The least diverse ecological habitat was montane forest with only five species populating the area. T. azureipennis and Pseudoxya diminuta were the most diverse species as they were found in nine different ecological habitats, namely beach forest, mixed dipterocarp forest, heath forest, montane forest, peat swamp forest, limestone forest, mangrove forest, riverine forest and urban forest. A list of species assessed and the identification keys to the genera and species were presented. The species composition of family Acrididae in Sarawak was mapped

First record of Samsama chersonesia chersonesia distant, 1906 (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) from Borneo

The only known distribution for the subspecies Samsama chersonesia chersonesia Distant, 1906 was in Perak and Cameron Highlands, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia. This paper provides the first distributional record for the subspecies in Sarawak and Sabah, Borneo. A total of 17 individuals were documented based on voucher specimens from three repositories in Sarawak and Sabah, namely Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Insect Reference Collection (UIRC), Research Development and Innovation Division, Forest Department Sarawak (RDID), and Sabah Parks Entomological Museum (SPM). This discovery denotes that this subspecies occurs in Sundaland: Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo

A Preliminary Study on the Beetle Fauna in Peat Swamp Forest of Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia

The largest peatland in Malaysia is in Sarawak with approximately 1.66 million ha (13%) of total area, distributed widely in Sibu division followed by Sri Aman, Miri, Kota Samarahan, Sarikei and Bintulu. Despite being the most diverse animal species, the study of insects in peat swamp forest, particularly beetles, is still in the incipient stage. Therefore, this study aimed to provide recent information on the beetle species composition in a peat swamp forest of Real Living Lab, UNIMAS (RLL) located in Kota Samarahan. Beetles were sampled for five consecutive days and nights within a seven-day sampling trip in August 2020. Three sampling methods were employed in this study, namely handpicking method (HPM), modified Pennsylvanian light trap (MPLT) and pitfall trapping (PFT). A total of 15 families representing 37 species and morphospecies with 185 individuals were successfully collected. The most speciose family from the beetle assemblages in RLL is Scarabaeidae with eight species collected (21.62%), followed by Curculionidae with six species (16.22%) and Staphylinidae with five species (13.51%). The most abundant family was also represented by Scarabaeidae with 64 individuals (34.59%), followed by Scolytidae with 27 individuals (14.59%) and Carabidae with 23 individuals (12.43%), respectively. This suggests that these families are good candidates as biodiversity indicator of peat swamp forests. This study is still in its preliminary stage; hence it is important to conduct further beetle samplings in future to better understand the potential of beetle as a bioindicator in the peat swamp habitat as an effort to conserve and protect the habitat and the biodiversity that came along with it. Keywords: Beetles, biodiversity, Coleoptera, peat swamp forest, Sarawa

A checklist of beetles (ORDER: COLEOPTERA) from Sarikei, Sarawak, Malaysia

A biodiversity survey to document assemblages of beetles was conducted at Sarikei town, Sarawak, Malaysia from 28th August 2021 to 5th September 2021. A combination of active (hand-picking and aerial netting) and passive (modified Pennsylvanian light trap, baited trap and flight-intercept trap) methods were used during the eight days of sampling, covering areas of mixed dipterocarp forest, mangroves and a recreational park. As a result, a total of 440 individuals, representing 146 species from 49 subfamilies and 23 families of beetles were successfully recorded. In general, Scarabaeidae was reported as the most diverse and abundant family with 46 species (31.51%), followed by Tenebrionidae with 15 species (10.27%), Chrysomelidae with 13 species (8.90%), Carabidae with 12 species (8.22%), and Elateridae (7.53%) with 11 species, respectively. In terms of individual count, the most dominant species was recorded by the scarab beetles of Apogonia destructor (Melolonthinae) with 32 individuals (7.27%). In conclusion, this study provides baseline data for identifying potential biodiversity hotspot areas for future management and conservation action plans in Sarawak