First record and occurrence of Acraea terpsicore (linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Malaysian Borneo

The Tawny Coster, Acraea terpsicore (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) is recorded from Malaysian Borneo for the first time based on three specimens collected in Samarahan, southwestern Sarawak on 15th March 2013. Originally distributed in India and Sri Lanka, A. terpsicore is now known to have expanded its geographical range southwards to Southeast Asia and Australia over the last three decades. However, prior to 2013, there was no record of its occurrence on Borneo. Preliminary results of our field tracking and observations of the species in Malaysian Borneo within the last three years indicated that this species has recently become established in western Borneo and expanded its area of distribution from Samarahan 200 km northwards to Sri Aman. Field observations of this butterfly and distribution map of the species on Borneo based on field visits from 2013-2016 are presented. This common Oriental butterfly species may expand its range of distribution further northwards to North Borneo

Butterflies

Well-known for their ecological role as pollinators, butterfl ies are universally admired as possibly the most beautiful of insects. In addition, butterfl ies are indicators of habitat types, on account of their host plant-dependency. Despite its relatively small size, Bako National Park is home to seven distinct types of forests: beach forest, heath forest, open shrubland, mangrove forest, mixed dipterocarp forest, cliff vegetation and riverine forest- each with its distinct butterfl y community. Observations of butterfl ies took place mostly in the vicinity of the Park Headquarters, where representatives of several forest types can be accessed. Both active and passive methods were used, such as aerial nets and traps baited with ripe pineapples. Sampling took place for seven and six consecutive days, respectively, in August (dry season) and November (beginning of wet season) 2005

Termites

Termites are social insects with a well-developed caste system, their community acting as ecosystem engineers and decomposers. Termites are also environmental bioindicators in tropical rainforests, being responsive to biotic or abiotic change, and are thus suitable models to evaluate disturbance (Davies, 2002) and are potential indicators of climate change (Gathorne-Hardy, 2004

TERMITES.

Termites are social insects with a well-developed caste system, their community acting as ecosystem engineers and decomposers. Termites are also environmental bioindicators in tropical rainforests, being responsive to biotic or abiotic change, and are thus suitable models to evaluate disturbance (Davies, 2002) and are potential indicators of climate change (Gathorne-Hardy, 2004

TERMITES.

Termites are social insects with a well-developed caste system, their community acting as ecosystem engineers and decomposers. Termites are also environmental bioindicators in tropical rainforests, being responsive to biotic or abiotic change, and are thus suitable models to evaluate disturbance (Davies, 2002) and are potential indicators of climate change (Gathorne-Hardy, 2004

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

Wing variation in tribe Limenitidini (Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae) from Sarawak, Malaysia

This study describes and compares the wing pattern variation among species of the tribe Limenitidini. A total of 34 species representing 13 genera of the tribe Limenitidini wing were examined and illustrated, where pattern elements of the nymphalid ground plan (NGP) are labelled in color. In general, the ventral wing surface tends to have more visible pattern elements than the dorsal wing surface. Elements c (basal symmetry system), d (proximal band of central symmetry system), f (discal band of central symmetry system) and I (parafocal element) are the common pattern elements found among species examined of this tribe. UPGMA were constructed to show the similarity distance between the species of tribe Limenitidini in terms of pattern elements on the ventral wing surface. The sexual dimorphism and colour resemblance among species in this study are also discussed. Keywords: Automated identification, nymphalid ground plan, trailing band, Sarawa

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

Wing variation in tribe limenitidini (Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae) from Sarawak, Malaysia

This study describes and compares the wing pattern variation among species of the tribe Limenitidini. A total of 34 species representing 13 genera of the tribe Limenitidini wing were examined and illustrated, where pattern elements of the nymphalid ground plan (NGP) are labelled in color. In general, the ventral wing surface tends to have more visible pattern elements than the dorsal wing surface. Elements c (basal symmetry system), d (proximal band of central symmetry system), f (discal band of central symmetry system) and I (parafocal element) are the common pattern elements found among species examined of this tribe. UPGMA were constructed to show the similarity distance between the species of tribe Limenitidini in terms of pattern elements on the ventral wing surface. The sexual dimorphism and colour resemblance among species in this study are also discussed