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...asset for future nature tourism
(eco-tourism)...
INSECTS
The pristine tropical rainforests of Malaysia is among world
richest biodiversity. The word "Biodiversity" is one of the commonly used
expressions in the biological sciences and general public today. It is the rich
biodiversity of flora and fauna Sabah to excel in nature tourism.
Insects is the group of organisms contributed most to the rich biodiversity in
Sabah. The world has more than a million named insect species. And as
exploration of Malaysia fauna advances, this number of insects constantly
increases. The high diversity of Sabah insects is something to be proud of, and
it is potentially significant in promoting nature tourism, (entotourism)
For insect enthusiasts, the butterfly farm at Poring Hot Springs, the insect
exhibits at Gunung Alab Resort (Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan highway), the Insect
Museum of the Sepilok Forest Research Centre and the Sabah Museum in Kota
Kinabalu are some of the places of interest.
WALKING STICKS
Stick insects are unique. They are usually slow moving relying on
concealment for protection from enemies. The elongated body of the stick insect
looks like a twig, a remarkable example of natural camouflage. The resemblance
is often enhanced by appropriate colors and postures. The longest insect in the
world is a stick insect of 555 mm, recorded in Malaysia. Some are spiny and look
ferocious such as the endemic Haaniella echinata but they all feed on plants and
are harmless. It is best to look for stick insects in the forest at night
preferably after an evening drizzle.
PRAYING MANTIDS
Praying mantids ambush their victims. They would wait patiently for
insects to settle within their area, in which many are colored to match their
background of green or withered leaves, or flowers. This conceals the mantids
from its victims and also from its own enemies, the birds and lizards. It has
formidable, spined forelimbs which are specially adapted for seizing and holding
prey. These are just some of the highlights of the myriad of insects and their
life forms in tropical Sabah.
It is always interesting to know how such a diverse group succeeded and
prevailed in this competitive world. It is truly God’s wonderful creation.
THE TERMITES AND CICADA CONCERTO
Termites are common in the rain forest but are often mistaken as ants,
due to their similar foraging behavior and organization pattern.
Surprisingly, they are akin to cockroaches. Although they are often
labeled as pests, causing destruction worth millions of ringgit to
wooden structures and buildings in Sabah, they are ecologically
important as decomposers in the rainforests. Besides, they are great
architects too, judging from the variety of nest structures constructed
by them in the forest. The collective stridulating sound produced by
insects in the evening is a typical ‘concert’ atmosphere of the rain
forest in Sabah. The cicadas are one of them. They are actually singing.
The mating songs are produced by a pair of abdominal organs of the male
cicada to attract the female. If you are standing right below a tree
with lots of cicadas, you will feel as though it’s drizzling. This is
because of the fine droplets of excess water produced by the cicadas
after feeding on the plant sap.
THE BEETLES, BEES, WASPS AND ANTS
Beetles are second to butterflies and moths in terms of popularity.
However, beetles constitute the largest and most diverse order of
insects. The body is usually armored with its hard forewings and some
are often brilliantly colored. The largest in Sabah, a giant long horned
beetle can grow up to 100 mm. Many of the larger beetles are attracted
to light and thus can be easily spotted at various nature resorts in
Sabah, such as Kinabalu Park, Poring Hot Springs and Danum Valley. Among
the common ones are the three-horned beetles, stag beetles and also the
long-horned beetles.
The bees, wasps and ants are yet another diverse and abundant insect
group in Sabah. There are five species of honeybees in Sabah, of which
two are common among the local community. Honey produced by the cultured
honeybees and also the giant wild honeybees is very much sought after by
the local people as health food. The brood is also claimed to be highly
nutritious, and is often taken raw, or cooked in porridge or rice.
Honeybee breeding in Sabah is practiced by the Rungus community at
northern Sabah and also the Kadazandusun community at the Kinabalu
foothills. The giant wild honeybee often nests on the ‘mengaris’, the
tallest tree species in Sabah.
You may say that ants are small and insignificant. So, there’s nothing
special to observe. Perhaps it is true to a certain extent, to
appreciate the beauty of this tiny living creature. However, tourists
who walk in the rainforests would not have missed the giant forest ant
(otherwise you wouldn’t have been into the Sabah rain forest!). It is
one of the largest ant species in the world! During daytime, some worker
ants can be observed foraging solitarily on the ground. It is actually a
nocturnal species where thousands of them would march up to the forest
canopy in search of food. The best time to observe this is at dusk, at
the base of a fairly large dipterocarp tree in the forest such as at
Danum Valley, Sepilok Forest Reserve or Poring Hot Springs.
BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS
Among all insects, butterflies and moths have always been popular
because of they are relatively large, colorful and attractive. The Rajah
Brooke’s birdwing is as outstanding among the Sabah butterflies as the
Atlas moth is among the moths. The birdwing was discovered by the famous
British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in Borneo in 1855 and it was
named after Sir James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak. The male Rajah
Brooke’s
birdwing may often be seen on the ground along small streams, drinking
water of seepages and saline springs, but the female, which is less
commonly seen, flies high among the trees in the rain forest. The Atlas
moth, which is attracted to light, is the world’s largest moth, with a
wingspan up to 30 cm. The patterns on the wings are spectacular, with a
black spot on the curved tip of each forewing resembling the head of a
snake—to frighten the intruder away. Sadly, the adult only lives a short
life because it has no mouth and cannot eat. Beside the two spectacular
species, there are other equally striking butterflies typical to Sabah
worth looking out for.
A list of various institutions and research centers that house existing insect collections in Malaysia :
Museum
The Sarawak Museum, Kuching
Sabah Museum, Kota Kinabalu
The Sabah Park Museum, Kinabalu Park, Sabah
Federal/State Departments
Sabah Forest Research Center, Sepilok, Sandakan
Sarawak Forest Research Center, Kuching
Department of Agriculture, Malaysia
Department of Agriculture, Semenggok, Sarawak
Department of Agriculture, Tuaran, Sabah
Research Institutions
Forest Research Institute, Kepong, Selangor
Institute of Medical Research Malaysia, KL
Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute, Serdang, Selangor
Universities
Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak
Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
| Insects in Bukit Gemok | BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS | BEETLES, BEES, WASPS AND ANTS | TERMITES AND CICADA CONCERTO | INDEX | Spider | Dragonfly | Insects | The Eyes | Orang Utan |
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