EFFECTS OF VERTICAL GRADIENT ON THE DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF NYMPHALIDAE IN A BORNEAN RAINFOREST

The forest canopy is known to harbour high insect diversity, yet descriptive studies that simultaneously measure species richness on both ground and canopy strata are not common. The Nymphalidae are abundant in the canopy and their distribution across the vertical dimension contributes to tropical diversity. A comprehensive study of the vertical distribution of nymphalids in four forest habitats in the Kubah lowland mixed-dipterocarp forest: primary, secondary, heath forest and forest edge were conducted. Forty baited traps were installed at both ground and canopy levels and sampled over a six-month period. The preference of the nymphalids for the lower stratum was significant for abundance, diversity, and common species such as Bassarona dunya. Observed pattern could be due to the distribution of available adult resources and larval hostplants. Being practically ‘sun-lovers’, highest diversity of nymphalids at the canopy level was recorded at the forest edge (H’ = 2.525). Meanwhile, more microhabitats are offered at the lower level in secondary forest and thus supporting the most diverse nymphalids here (H’ = 3.020). Vertical study of nymphalids provides knowledge and fluctuation patterns of its diversity and thus more similar study is suggested to be conducted in the futur

Effects of vertical gradient on the diversity and abundance of Nymphalidae in a Bornean rainforest

The forest canopy is known to harbour high insect diversity, yet descriptive studies that simultaneously measure species richness on both ground and canopy strata are not common. The Nymphalidae are abundant in the canopy and their distribution across the vertical dimension contributes to tropical diversity. A comprehensive study of the vertical distribution of nymphalids in four forest habitats in the Kubah lowland mixed-dipterocarp forest: primary, secondary, heath forest and forest edge were conducted. Forty baited traps were installed at both ground and canopy levels and sampled over a six-month period. The preference of the nymphalids for the lower stratum was significant for abundance, diversity, and common species such as Bassarona dunya. Observed pattern could be due to the distribution of available adult resources and larval hostplants. Being practically ‘sun-lovers’, highest diversity of nymphalids at the canopy level was recorded at the forest edge (H’ = 2.525). Meanwhile, more microhabitats are offered at the lower level in secondary forest and thus supporting the most diverse nymphalids here (H’ = 3.020). Vertical study of nymphalids provides knowledge and fluctuation patterns of its diversity and thus more similar study is suggested to be conducted in the future

DIVERSITY OF MACROMOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA: HETEROCERA) IN PERLIS STATE PARK, KEDAWI REGION, MALAYSIA: NEW DISTRIBUTIONAL RECORD OF NOCTUID

This study aimed to determine the macromoths species diversity in Perlis State Park, Kedawi Region, Malaysia. Two sampling series were conducted on 17th - 21st April 2015 and 12th - 16th November 2015. Modified Pennsylvanian light trap with 160 W mercury vapor bulb was used to attract the macromoths in ground (≤ 2m) and lower canopy (≥ 20m) levels. A total of 386 individuals comprising 182 species from 13 families were recorded in 10 nights of sampling. The macromoths diversity was considerably high with Fisher’s alpha diversity index of α= 134.5 and Shannon’s diversity index, H’ = 4.777. Noctuidae was the highest family recorded in terms of species number, while family Arctiidae was the highest for the number of individuals collected

Effectiveness of Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) as a Tool for Formative Assessment of Practical and Experimental Skill for Pre-University Students in Biology Course

In many science courses or subjects, lectures (theory) and practical (hands-on) are integrated with the view that theory can be explained in the lecture and then applied and tested in the practical class (Whitworth & Wright, 2015). Similarly, in the Biology course for Centre for Pre- University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, a lecture on Introduction to Laboratory Instrumentation was conducted. Meanwhile, the practical application and demonstration for this topic were also carried out. The objectives for this practical are to describe the usage and to define the functions of basic laboratory equipment and apparatus as well as to demonstrate the correct way of handling basic laboratory equipment and apparatus

PPPU BULETIN : Special Edition Asasi Eco Ambassador

This publication will both encourage the students to continue spending the commitment of academic production and inspire juniors to follow their example. As in the past years, the write-up has demonstrated the wide variations of biodiversity, ecology, and environment study in various location of national park in Kuching, however, in this issue, you will find the study conducted within the campus area. Nevertheless, the study as far-ranging and divergent as eco-based potential plant for commercial uses, documentation of water quality, rapid wildlife survey, observation of plant-animal interaction, plant-plant interaction, fungi, gymnosperms, angiosperms, pteridophytes, Nepenthes, horticulture plant, palm species, medicinal plants, potential threat to ecosystem, and peat-swamp ecosystem. In a word, there is something for all the students

Diversity of moths (lepidoptera : heterocera) in selected localities on selected offshore islands and forest island habitats in Malaysia

(The diversity and vertical distribution (ground, 20 m) of the moths were investigated in tropical forests on offshore islands namely Satang Besar Island, Sarawak and Langkawi Island, Kedah and forest island habitats fragment, Kubah National Park, Sarawak and Perlis State Park, Perlis by using Pennsylvanian light traps with 576 trap-hours of sampling efforts for each sites. A total of 1886 individuals comprising of 380 species and 16 families were recorded from all the sites. The highest moth species diversity was Kubah National Park (a=91.19±2.62, H'=4.65,1/D=53.87), followed by Perlis State Park (a=46.75±2.34, H'=3.88,1/D=27.01), Lubuk Sembilang, Langkawi Island (a=44.35±2.07, H'=4.08,1/D=42.44), and Satang Besar Island (a=33.87±2.09, H'=3.59,1/D=21.7). Geometridae was recorded as the dominant family and species for Kubah National Park and Satang Besar Island whereas Arctiidae for Lubuk Sembilang, Langkawi Island and Perlis State Park. The availability of different habitat types in an area promoting greater species diversity for different moth families to exploit, suggesting island size alone cannot be assumed to be a good predictor for species diversity. The application of taxonomic diversity measures elucidated that sites with high diversity index from species richness and abundance accentuation are not necessarily rich taxonomically. Vertical distribution study greatly enhances the probability of capturing the canopy fliers into collection for better interpretation of species diversity. Six species were identified as ground stratum specialist; Omiza lycoraria (Geometridae), Hypomecis costaria (Geometridae), Amblychia angeronaria (Geometridae), Tasta micaceata (Geometridae), Cyana costifimbria (Arctiidae) and Cyana malayensis (Arctiidae). Seven species were reported as new distributional records from Peninsular Malaysia; Cispia punt fascia (Lymantriidae), Cyclosiella spiralis (Arctiidae),Hypochrosis cryptopyrrhata (Geometridae), Egnasia sundana (Noctuidae), Gracillina prosthenia (Noctuidae), Sartagine ovafricta (Noctuidae) and Gonoglasa camptogramma (Noctuidae)

First record of Cyclosiella spiralis (Arctiidae) from Peninsular Malaysia

The Arctiidae family of small to medium-sized moths have antennae that are usually bipectinate or ciliate in the males, the pectination or ciliation being reduced or absent in the females (Barlow 1982). The proboscis is reduced and short, and the palpi are also generally short (Barlow 1982). Lithosiinae is the largest subfamily of Arctiidae in the oriental tropics and Bornean lithosiinae include 298 species in 70 genera (Holloway 2001). Records of host-plants for arctiids indicate that a large number of lithosiine larvae are lichen, algal, liverwort or moss browsers. The larvae tend to graze on these wherever they are abundant, such as moist walls, cliffs and rocks, the trunks and branches of trees and, in very humid biotopes, on leaves (Holloway 2001). Most other arctiids tend towards polyphagy with some concentration on weedy herbaceous plant taxa (Barlow 1982, Holloway 1988, Holloway 2001)