Recent curation of the butterfly collections in the National Museum of Natural History in Manila, Philippines, and the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, USA, resulted in new island records of Ideopsis juventa luzonica (Nymphalidae: Danainae) from Mabog Island in the Babuyan Islands, Philippines, Cheritra freja pallida (Lycaenidae: Theclinae) from Sebuku Island, Borneo, and Eurema hiurai (Pieridae: Coliadinae) in Zambales (Luzon) and Cotabato (Mindanao), Philippines.

KEYWORDS: butterflies, range, Philippines, Indonesia

The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) nucleotide sequences of Unaspis mabilis Lit & Barbecho (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), are provided for the first time. The total genomic DNA of each scale insect was extracted from individuals infesting lanzones leaves from three selected sites in Los Baños, Laguna. A partial COI gene amplicon with approximately 750 bp was obtained using the primer pair PcoF1 and LepR1. Nucleotide sequence alignment showed no variation among the COI sequences from all the samples. BLASTn search yielded no significant match with any of the available sequences for Unaspis species. The closest hit was Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (GenBank Accession No. HM474091) with 87.4% nucleotide similarity. Nonetheless, phylogenetic analyses revealed that generated COI sequences from U. mabilis form a monophyletic clade with U. yanonensis and U. euonymi, with closer proximity to the former. These findings also strengthen the species status of U. mabilis under the genus Unaspis. The DNA barcodes generated from this study (GenBank Acc. Nos. MN114099, MN14101, and MN114102), could, therefore, be used to verify the species identity of other lanzones scale accessions, as well as monitor the distribution and spread of U. mabilis, which would greatly influence possible pest management options.

KEYWORDS: cytochrome C oxidase I, COI, Lansium domesticum Correa, lanzones

A new subspecies of microsnail, Hypselostoma latispira masungiensis subsp. nov., is described based on shell morphology and molecular characters. This new subspecies is distinguished from H. l. latispira from Baguio City, Benguet Province by having relatively larger major width size, additional apertural teeth (interpalatal plica), larger body whorl and apertural width, and clustering based on location. The collected samples from Masungi Georeserve, Rizal Province appear to be an ecophenotype as indicated by the novel site congruent to the clade separation of Masungi and Baguio H. latispira. Neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood trees also demonstrated that the two sample groups clustered separately, with bootstrap support of 84% and 78%, respectively. However, pairwise distance comparison revealed that there is only an average of 0.0131 ± 0.0126 genetic distance (99.98%) between the two populations, suggesting that they are most likely similar species; thus, the proposal of making it a subspecies. This is the first report on the new distributional record outside the type locality and a new subspecies of H. latispira.

KEYWORDS: land snail, karst, interpalatal plica, pairwise distance comparison

Pteridophytes are potential indicators of climate change and environmental disturbances because of their sensitivity to the changes in the environment such as sunlight intensities and humidity levels. The study was conducted to document the species and compare the diversity of epiphytic pteridophytes in two sites–the undisturbed and disturbed areas of Mt. Apo Natural Park, North Cotabato Province in the Philippines. In each site, four stations were established, each with four 20 m × 20 m plots that are at least 20 m apart from each other. Between stations, at least 100 m was maintained. In this study, 102 species of epiphytic pteridophytes belonging to 33 genera and 14 families were identified. Seven species are lycophytes and 95 species are ferns. The number of species recorded represents 10 % of all species of pteridophytes in the Philippines. Polypodiaceae was the most dominant family consisting of 13 genera and 33 species. Among these, Prosaptia was the largest genus represented by nine species followed by Selliguea with five species. Based on the Species Importance Value (SIV), Lindsaea pulchella was the most abundant species in the area studied. Abundance of epiphytic pteridophytes vary between two sites but other parameters such as species richness, evenness, Shannon-Weiner and Simpson diversity indices showed no significant differences. There were three main assemblages of epiphytic pteridophytes based on species composition with 50% overall similarity. Of the 102 species identified, 11 were threatened which represent 6.08% of the total threatened pteridophytes of the Philippines. Noteworthy is the new species record of Asplenium beccarianum for the Philippines. Unique composition of epiphytic pteridophytes was evident and the results showed that Mt. Apo is an important location for the conservation of these communities.

KEYWORDS: abundance, Asplenium beccarianum, conservation, phorophtye, epiphyte

Pinanga lepidota (Arecaceae), previously known only from Borneo, is reported here as a new record for the Philippines from Palawan Island. A key to the identification of similar species of Pinanga in the Philippines is provided, including brief notes on Bornean Arecaceae elements in Palawan.

KEYWORDS: Mt Mantalingahan, Palmae, palms, Pinanga

Mt. Tago Range in Bukidnon has been subjected to deforestation and forest fragmentation due to logging ca. 35–40 years ago or as direct result of land conversion for agriculture, human settlements and wildlife product harvesting. It is currently not a protected area. This study aimed to provide data on the tree species diversity, structure, composition, conservation status and threats of the forest habitats in the site. Tree survey in the range was conducted in 2018–2019 using thirty-nine 20 x 20 m sampling plots and six one-kilometer transect lines. A total of 1,032 tree individuals from 54 families, 85 genera and 121 species were documented. The site is composed of four tropical forest habitat types namely: lower montane rainforest, upper montane rainforest, mossy-pygmy and forest over ultramafic rocks. These forest habitats also differed in species composition, elevation, substrate, dominance and structure in terms of height and diameter at breast height. The highest diversity index was observed in the mid-elevation and decreasing toward the peak. The diversity pattern herein is attributed to elevation, forest degradation due to anthropogenic activities and nature of habitat. The most abundant families were the Myrtaceae (23%), Podocarpaceae (12.8%) and Fagaceae (12.6%). At the family level the most dominant taxa included the Moraceae (8.7%), Rubiaceae (6.5%) and Myrtaceae (5.8%). Highest importance value index (IVI) in all forest types fell within the range of IVI’s for tropical forests. Assessment of conservation and ecological status revealed that 11 species (8%) are threatened, 28 (22%) Least Concern (LC) and 16 (12%) are Philippine endemics. Threats to tree diversity in Mt. Tago Range included land conversion for agriculture and settlement, illegal logging and lack of legislative protection. The implementation of conservation strategies by stakeholders is recommended to protect the tree species communities and population across the forest habitat types in the site.

KEYWORDS: biodiversity, flora, Shannon-Weiner Index, Importance Value Index, non-Protected Area

Corticolous myxomycetes are a specialized guild of myxomycetes thriving on the bark of living trees. In this study, we explored the bark-inhabiting myxomycetes from selected trees in the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve, Bulacan, Philippines. Pieces of dead tree barks were carefully removed from selected mature trees — Gmelina arborea (“gmelina” or “yemane”), Mangifera indica (“mango”), Parkia timoriana (“kupang”), Pinus sp. (“pine tree”), Pterocarpus indicus (“narra”), Samanea saman (“acacia” or “rain tree”), and Shorea contorta (“white lauan”), within the accessible forest area and used for the preparation of moist chamber culture. Following incubation for 8–12 weeks, fruiting bodies from the moist chambers were identified. Results showed a total of 17 species belonging to 10 genera from five orders. The identified corticolous myxomycetes were Arcyria cinerea, A. denudata, Comatricha pulchella, C. tenerrima, Cribraria microcarpa, C. violacea, Diderma effusum, D. hemisphaericum, Hemitrichia pardina, Lamproderma scintillans, Licea operculata, Licea sp.1, Perichaena chrysosperma, P. pedata, Physarum album, P. leucophaeum, and Trichia decipiens. This is the first report of corticolous myxomycetes in the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve.

KEYWORDS: bark, moist chamber culture, Paleotropics, plasmodial slime molds, species list

Verde Island Passage is the world’s center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity, located in southwestern Luzon Island in the Philippines. The passage is named after Verde Island, which is located at its middle. Although the island is located within a key biodiversity area, studies on its marine macrophyte biodiversity are scant. The present study was conducted to determine the composition, distribution, and dominance of marine macrophytes, specifically seaweeds and seagrass, during the northeast monsoon, summer, and southwest monsoon in four coastal areas in Verde Island using the line transect-quadrat method. Results revealed 63 macrophyte species, of which 92% were seaweeds and 8% were seagrass. The majority of the seaweeds were green (41%), followed by red (35%) and brown (16%) seaweeds. In most sites, the brown seaweed Padina sp. was dominant during summer and cover decreased during both monsoons. The green seaweed Neomeris annulata was present in all sites and seasons. The differences in cover across sites may be due to substratum type and topography where a relatively wider intertidal zone with different substratum such as rocky and sandy to muddy provides complex habitat promoting higher macrophyte cover. Temporal differences in marine macrophyte composition were more pronounced in macroalgae-dominated sites than in the seagrass-dominated site. Several important seaweeds that could be studied as bioindicators were recorded, such as Padina sp., which registered high cover especially in sites near populated areas and backyard pig pens. Ulva spp., which are known to form green tide blooms, and Caulerpa verticillata were also noted and should be monitored. Some red seaweeds with potential for cultivation were observed (i.e., Halymenia durvillei and Portieria hornemannii). Claudea sp., an uncommon red seaweed with limited distribution in the Philippines, was recorded and needs verification. This study is the first extensive marine macrophyte assessment at the heart of the Verde Island Passage.

KEYWORDS: biodiversity, bioindicator, eutrophication, microbenthic algae, seagrass, Verde Island Passage

Owing to the flightless behaviour of the Pachyrhynchini, new species are still being discovered in unexplored parts of the region. Hence, we described a new species: Metapocyrtus bronsi sp. nov. discovered in Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Davao Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines. Habitat, ecology, and threats are also described

KEYWORDS: curculionid, Mount Hamiguitan, new species, terminalia, the Philippines

Quezon Protected Landscape (QPL) is a tropical rainforest situated at the southern Sierra Madre mountain range. However, it is subjected to anthropogenic pressure that poses threats to its flora and fauna. This study was conducted to describe the plant diversity, assess their ecological and conservation status, and to identify current anthropogenic threats in various vegetation types in QPL. Vegetation assessment was done using quadrat method established at different land use types wherein ninety 10×10 m nested plots were used for trees, 5×5 m subplots were used for herbs and shrubs, and 1×1 m subplots were used for grasses. The study documented a total of 328 species belonging to 84 families and 208 genera with 2,737 individuals. Species diversity is high as revealed by the values obtained from species diversity (H’) and species evenness (J’) indexes. Out of 172 tree species identified, the most important species are: Parashorea malaanonan (Blanco) Merr. in the regenerating and lowland evergreen dipterocarp forest; Diospyros pyrrhocarpa Miq. in the karst forest; Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit in the secondary forest; and Cocos nucifera L. in the agroforest. Assessment of ecological status showed that out of 328 species, 213 (64.94%) are native, wherein 65 (19.8%) are endemic, and 115 (35.06%) are introduced. Forty-five species (13.72%) are threatened in which 25 of those are endemic in the Philippines. Overall, QPL has a wide array of plant species and threats such as the illegal extraction of natural resources, encroachment, cleanliness and presence of invasive alien species. So, it is recommended that protection and awareness campaign should be done for conservation and sustainability.

KEYWORDS: Importance Value Index, invasive species, species diversity, threatened species, vegetation analysis