This study was conducted to investigate the diversity and possible factors that structure the distribution and abundance of fireflies along Sungai Teratak. Six sampling occasions were conducted from March to April 2014 where ten display trees were chosen as sampling stations. Species abundance and composition of fireflies and other insects were assessed by visual assessment and sampling with aerial net. Four Pteroptyx species were discovered with difference in relative abundance, namely Pteroptyx bearni (93.1%), Pteroptyx valida (2.2%), Pteroptyx malaccae (3.9%), and Pteroptyx tener (0.8%). The results of Shannon-Weiner index, H’ was 0.316, and Simpson’s index of diversity with the value of 0.131 indicated that the firefly at Sungai Teratak was low in diversity. Abundance of firefly varied significantly between the six sampling occasions (Kruskal-Wallis = 15.382, d.f. = 5, p <0.05) but shows no difference in abundance between the ten display trees (Kruskal-Wallis = 14.181, d.f. = 9, p > 0.05). The abundance of fireflies was found to be positively correlated to the abundance of other insects (Pearson’s correlation r = 0.740, p <0.05). Comparison of fireflies’ abundance on full moon and new moon nights showed no significant difference (Mann-Whitney U = 46.00, z = -0.326, p >0.05 and Mann-Whitney U = 25.50, z = -1.945, p >0.05). Although the abundance of male (n= 232) firefly outnumbered the female (n= 149), statistical analysis proved no significant difference between both group (Mann-Whitney U = 8.50, z = -1.529, p >0.05). The mangrove trees being colonized by fireflies at Sungai Teratak was mainly from the species Avicennia alba.
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.
The genus Termitomyces (Lyophyllaceae, Basidiomycota) is often associated with fungus-feeding termites (Macrotermitinae) due to their strong symbiotic relationships. The genus is widely found exclusively in certain regions of Africa and Asia. They are recognized as edible mushroom within Southeast Asia as well. But it is often misidentified based on morphology by the local communities especially in Malaysia for Chlorophyllum molybdites which is a highly poisonous mushroom. Thus, it is necessary to study the genus for Malaysia with the synergy of using both morphological and molecular identification. In this study, we aim to describe another new species as an addition to the genus Termitomyces found within Sabah, Malaysia. We generated two new sequences (nrLSU and mtSSU) for the new species and a total of 28 nrLSU and mtSSU sequences were retrieved from GenBank for the phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferences. We identified that the new collection from Sabah province is a new species and named as Termitomyces gilvus based on the termites found in the mound. A phylogeny tree made from the concatenated genes of LSU and mtSSU suggests that T. gilvus is closely related to T. bulborhizus from China. According to our results, the combination of molecular and morphology proved to be a robust approach to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of Termitomyces species in Malaysia. Additional surveys are needed to verify the species diversity and clarify their geographic distribution.
A survey on solitary fireflies was carried out at Kangkawat Research Station in October 2018. A total of 33 fireflies were collected; three adult males, 13 adult females and 17 larvae. Three fireflies species were identified from male specimens, namely Pygoluciola wittmeri, Luciola sp. and most larvae consists of Pyrocoelia sp. This is a new record, mapping the existence of the species in Imbak, hence expanding the geographical knowledge of Pygoluciola, Luciola and Pyrocoelia. There are five morphospecies of unidentified females and three morphospecies of larvae. Three videos of larvae showed an emission of a long glow while the adult female in captivity exhibited single-peaked pulsing light. Male flashes were observed to emit long glows with intermittent rest. Most adult fireflies were caught flying between trees while larvae were found among twigs, leaf litter and leaves.
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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