Morphological variation of selected species of Coptotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in western Sarawak

The termite genus of Coptotermes from the family of Rhinotermitidae is an invasive pest in suburban and urban areas and commonly known as metropolitan pest. Previous studies and data indicated that the genus lacks robust diagnostic characters for morphological species identification and causes many named Coptotermes species remain unclear. This has resulted in additional junior synonyms which involves a few species of the most destructive pest of wood. The morphology variation between internest and intranest of soldier also complicates the species identification. The purpose of the study was to assess the morphological variation of Coptotermes particularly in soldier caste at species level. A total of 123 soldier’s individuals from four selected species of this genus were appropriately measured and recorded, in which 17 morphometric measurements were used. The data were later subjected to unweighted pair-group method average (UPGMA) cluster analysis using Minitab version 16.1.1. The cluster analysis shows that the genus Coptotermes examined is divided into two major clusters where each species was distinctly separated. The morphometric variation for respective species was observed and presented in this paper. From this study, it is suggested that cluster analysis is reliable to assist in species identification among Coptotermes

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

Morphometric variation and genetic relationship of Coptotermes spp. (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) in Sarawak, Malaysia

Amongst the termite genera within Rhinotermitidae, the genus Coptotermes is probably regarded as one of the most destructive pest in Malaysia as it contributes to more than 90% of the damages in buildings and structures. In this study, 17 parameters were used for morphometric analysis. Partial sequence of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) was obtained from 21 populations of C. curvignathus, seven populations of C. sepangensis and two populations of C. kalshoveni in Sarawak. In addition, 11 sequences of Coptotermes spp. were obtained from GenBank and included in the analysis. Based on Discriminant Function Analyses (DFA), the maximum width of postmentum (MxWPt) is identified as the best morphological character for differentiating the four species of Coptotermes in this study, proved by canonical discriminant function. Phylogenetic analyses of COII found that C. sepangensis and C. kalshoveni are nested within a single clade. Morphological comparison also showed these two species to be identical in terms of body measurements and diagnostic features. These evidence indicates that C. sepangensis and C. kalshoveni are the same species, thus we suggest C. sepangensis is a junior synonym of C. kalshoveni

A Preliminary Survey of Gastrointestinal Helminths of Murids (Rodentia: Muridae) at Five Selected Localities in Western Sarawak

Field survey of gastrointestinal helminths on rodents from family Muridae were conducted at five localities in Western Sarawak from June 2013 until April 2014. A total of 31 host individuals comprising six species of murids were examined for gastrointestinal helminths using opportunistic necropsy. The hosts examined were Leopoldamys sabanus, Maxomys rajah, M. surifer, M. whiteheadi, Niviventer cremoriventer and Sundamys muelleri. Of these host species, 186 individuals consisting of two taxonomic groups of helminths were recovered, namely Nematoda and Cestoda. This study contributes to the growing literature on the infestation of endoparasites in rodents especially in Sarawak

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

Morphometric Variation and Genetic Relationship of Coptotermes spp. (Blattodea Rhinotermitidae) in Sarawak, Malaysia

Amongst the termite genera within Rhinotermitidae, the genus Coptotermes is probably regarded as one of the most destructive pest in Malaysia as it contributes to more than 90% of the damages in buildings and structures. In this study, 17 parameters were used for morphometric analysis. Partial sequence of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) was obtained from 21 populations of C. curvignathus, seven populations of C. sepangensis and two populations of C. kalshoveni in Sarawak. In addition, 11 sequences of Coptotermes spp. were obtained from GenBank and included in the analysis. Based on Discriminant Function Analyses (DFA), the maximum width of postmentum (MxWPt) is identified as the best morphological character for differentiating the four species of Coptotermes in this study, proved by canonical discriminant function. Phylogenetic analyses of COII found that C. sepangensis and C. kalshoveni are nested within a single clade. Morphological comparison also showed these two species to be identical in terms of body measurements and diagnostic features. These evidence indicates that C. sepangensis and C. kalshoveni are the same species, thus we suggest C. sepangensis is a junior synonym of C. kalshoveni

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

Infestation Pattern and Population Dynamics of the Tropical Bed Bug, Cimex hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Based on Novel Microsatellites and mtDNA Markers

The tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus (F.), has now emerged as an important public health pest in the tropics. Despite its alarming infestation rate, the information on its population genetics remains scarce. Here, we described the infestation structure and population dynamics of C. hemipterus in the tropics, especially Malaysia and Singapore, based on eight novel microsatellites and two mtDNA markers, including cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA genes. Across populations, microsatellite data revealed high genetic diversity with significant genetic differentiation and restricted gene flow. Analysis within populations revealed evidence of a recent bottleneck. Nonetheless, elevated genetic diversity in nearly all populations suggests that the propagule in C. hemipterus populations were much diverse, distantly related (mean r = 0.373), and not significantly inbred (mean FIS = 0.24) than that observed in Cimex lectularius from previous studies. We observed seven mtDNA haplotypes across the 18 populations studied (Hd = 0.593) and several populations displayed more than one matrilineal descent. The two markers were generally congruent in suggesting a common, genetically diverse (especially at the nuclear region) source population with possibilities of multiple introductions for the bed bug populations in the present study. Keywords: bed bug; Cimex hemipterus; microsatellite; mtDNA; population genetics; infestation dynamic