Overlooking the importance of insect disease can have disastrous effects on insect conservation. This study reported the microfungi that infect Pteroptyx bearni eggs and larvae during ex-situ rearing project. Two different species of microfungi that infected the firefly’s immature life stages were isolated and identified. Penicillium citrinum infected the firefly’s eggs while Trichoderma harzianum infected the firefly during the larval stage. Both microfungi species caused absolute mortality once infection was observed; out of 244 individual eggs collected, 75 eggs (32.5%) were infected by Penicillium citrinum. All 13 larvae that hatched from the uninfected eggs were infected by Trichoderma harzianum. This study was the first to document the infection of Pteroptyx bearni’s eggs and larvae by Penicillium citrinum and Trichoderma harzianum.
Congregating fireflies are among the most marvellous organisms that fill the mangrove forests with “living fireworksâ€. These dainty creatures emit bioluminescence to attract mates by nightfall. Fireflies from the genus Pteroptyx aggregate on mangrove trees lighting up the riverine of several places in Malaysia, and this natural phenomenon provides local communities with lucrative business opportunity. Unsustainable management can bring disastrous consequences to the natural population of these graceful beetles. Without information on the current status of Pteroptyx fireflies in Klias Peninsula, any variation of this population in the future would be untraceable. This study was carried out to document the diversity of Pteroptyx fireflies and to identify their display trees in Klias Peninsula which is known as a firefly watching hotspot in Sabah. A total of four firefly species are found in Klias Peninsula, namely Pteroptyx tener Olivier, Pteroptyx malaccae Gorham, Pteroptyx valida Olivier, and Pteroptyx bearni Ballantyne. Pteroptyx tener is the dominant species in both Weston and Garama rivers while Pteroptyx bearni is the dominant species in Teratak River. The overall sex ratio on the display trees in Klias Peninsula was significantly biased towards the male. Seven mangrove species were selected as display trees by the congregating fireflies, particularly Excoecaria indica L. (Family Euphorbiaceae), Hibiscus tiliaceus, Nypa fruticans, Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia alba, Excoecaria agallocha L., and Sonneratia alba J. Smith (Family Lythraceae)-IUCN Red List. Information on the display tree species provides indispensable information for conservation and rehabilitation purposes while information on the Pteroptyx firefly species composition and abundance can be used as reference to track the spatial and temporal variation of firefly communities.
A survey on the congregating fireflies located in the mangrove forest of Sungai Kawang, Kinarut, 20 kilometers south of Kota Kinabalu was conducted from September to October 2015. The dominant firefly species was Pteroptyx bearni Olivier. Out of 133 male Pteroptyx fireflies collected, 131 individuals belong to this species. The less common species Pteroptyx malaccae Gorham was collected on a mangrove tree that is away from the jetty. Most of the fireflies were collected from the dominant mangrove species, Rhizophora mucronata, while some were collected from Aegiceras floridum and Lumnitzera littorea. With a high population of congregating fireflies and the geographical advantages of Sungai Kawang, it has the potential to be developed as a tourist attraction. Proper development planning associated with a system for population monitoring and habitat conservation are essential for sustainable ecotourism.
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