In birds and mammals, mobbing calls constitute an important form of social information that can attract numerous sympatric species to localized mobbing aggregations. While such a response is thought to reduce the future predation risk for responding species, there is surprisingly little empirical evidence to support this hypothesis. One way to test the link between predation risk reduction and mobbing attraction involves testing the relationship between species’ attraction to mobbing calls and the functional traits that define their vulnerability to predation risk. Two important traits known to influence prey vulnerability include relative prey‐to‐predator body size ratio and the overlap in space use between predator and prey; in combination, these measures strongly influence prey accessibility, and therefore their vulnerability, to predators. Here, we combine community surveys with behavioral experiments of a diverse bird assemblage in the lowland rainforest of Sumatra to test whether the functional traits of body mass (representing body size) and foraging height (representing space use) can predict species’ attraction to heterospecific mobbing calls. At four forest sites along a gradient of forest degradation, we characterized the resident bird communities using point count and mist‐netting surveys, and determined the species groups attracted to standardized playbacks of mobbing calls produced by five resident bird species of roughly similar body size and foraging height. We found that (1) a large, diverse subcommunity of bird species was attracted to the mobbing calls and (2) responding species (especially the most vigorous respondents) tended to be (a) small (b) mid‐storey foragers (c) with similar trait values as the species producing the mobbing calls. Our findings from the relatively lesser known bird assemblages of tropical Asia add to the growing evidence for the ubiquity of heterospecific information networks in animal communities, and provide empirical support for the long‐standing hypothesis that predation risk reduction is a major benefit of mobbing information networks.

Research on stingless bee at several Meliponiculture (stingless beekeeping) sites in West Sumatra, including at Universitas Andalas Campus Complex, had been conducted from April to December 2019 by using direct survey and direct collection methods on stingless bee worker at their colony entrances. A total of 18 stingless bee species that belong to five genera were collected. Tetragonula was the genus with the highest in species number (8), followed by Homotrigona (5) and Lepidoptrigona (3). Meanwhile, Heterotrigona and Geniotrigona were only represented by a single species each despite their popularity among West Sumatra beekeepers. Universitas Andalas Campus Complex harbours the highest species number of stingless bee (10), followed by stingless beekeeping site in Lubuk Minturun (7). Only 2-4 stingless bee species bred elsewhere stingless beekeeping sites. We presume that the difference of species number recorded in various stingless beekeeping sites indicated the complexity of this bee species within the variety of habitats.

Odonata, which consists of true dragonflies and damselflies, is considerably understudied in Sumatra, especially in West Sumatra region. While the campus area of Andalas University in Limau Manis provides many suitable habitats for dragonflies and damselflies, the least has been done in learning these organisms. In this paper, we intend to conduct the inventory of Odonata in Limau Manis area by using photography approach (by taking decent pictures only, without sampling the animal). After spending 14 days of data collection which spanned from October 2017 until February 2018), we listed 27 Odonata species. Of which, 11 species belong to four families under suborder Zygoptera and 16 species grouped into four families under suborder Anisoptera. Libellulidae is a family under Anisoptera that was found with most species members. Photography approach promises an immense help in doing species inventory for this animal group for its reliability in determining species identification without harming species’ population.Keywords: damselflies, dragonflies, Libellulidae, Limau Manis area, photography approach

Abstract. Roesma DI, Tjong DH, Janra MN, Aidil DR. 2022. DNA barcoding of freshwater fish in Siberut Island, Mentawai Archipelago, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 1795-1806. Information regarding molecular data of freshwater fish in Siberut Island, Mentawai Archipelago, Indonesia, is not available. This study was conducted to provide DNA barcodes of freshwater fish in Siberut island. The cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was chosen to make DNA barcodes because it has been used as a tool capable of identifying organisms up to the species level. Specimens were collected directly captured in the three rivers from Siberut Island. A total of 40 individuals were selected from 200 individuals that have been identified morphologically and strengthened by the results of the molecular marker (DNA barcodes) consisting of 13 species, namely Gobiopterus cf. brachypterus (BOLD: ADF5945), Eleotris fusca (BOLD: AAF0108), Butis cf. butis (BOLD: AAL8960), Stiphodon semoni (BOLD: ACQ3312), Giuris margaritacea (BOLD: ACP9929), Anabas testudineus (BOLD: AAO2846), Rasbora jacobsoni, Rasbora vulcanus, Barbodes banksi, Redigobius cf. bikolanus, Periophthalmus argentilineatus, Hypseleotris cf. compressa, and Oryzias cf. javanicus (in a queue in the BOLD system). The average Kimura two-Parameter model (K2P) genetic distances within species, genera, families, and orders were 0.16%, 11.4%, 23.2%, and 26.0%, respectively. The interspecific K2P distance was higher than the intraspecific distance. The present study supports that COI Barcodes effectively identify fish up to the species level. Future research is needed, especially to species that may have potential as new species. In contrast, DNA barcodes as genetic information will contribute as the basic data to future studies in the monitoring, conservation, and management of freshwater fish in Siberut Island, Mentawai Islands. Therefore, the creation of DNA barcodes is immediately carried out.

A study about ant species composition in a highland of agricultural areas at Alahan Panjang Village, Solok District, West Sumatra Province was conducted in 2016 by using modified of quads protocol methods. A total of 18 ant species belonging to four subfamilies, eight tribes and 15 genera was collected. Myrmicinae was the highest in species number (eight species) followed by Formicinae (five species), Dolichoderinae (three species) and Ponerinae (two species). All ant species were different between two plantations except Monomorium florica (Jerdon, 1851) which was collected for both. Carebara cf. pygmaeus Emery, 1887 was the highest in the number of individuals which was found at Wheat site. Six functional group of ants were detected from all species collected.