A new species of geometrid moth, specifically a “pug” moth, has just been described from the island of Sibuyan of Romblon by the Museum’s curator for geometrid moths and spiders, Dr. Aimee Lynn B. Dupo and French lepidoptera systematist, Claude Tautel.

The description of the new moth was published in the journal ANTENOR Tropical Lepidoptera Studies [Antenor 8(2): 173-175] this 29 April 2022.

The new moth, Pomasia concepcioni n. sp., has been named after Atty. Danilo L. Concepcion, current President of the University of the Philippines and a great supporter of biodiversity research in Sibuyan. The scientific name is already registered in Zoobank, the official register of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.

A slender new species of Pinanga, a genus of palms native to eastern and southern Asia across to New Guinea, has been recently described from the volcanic slopes of Mt. Cagua, Cagayan by botanists Jiro T. Adorador and Edwino S. Fernando. Adorador and Fernando are assistant professor and Professor Emeritus, respectively from the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Their discovery has been published in the journal Phytotaxa (https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.536.2.7) last 24 February 2022.

According to Adorador and Fernando, the new palm is named Pinanga leonardcoi as tribute to the late Leonardo Co, an esteemed botanist and taxonomist par excellence who led expeditions which surveyed Mt. Cagua’s caldera, natural vents, and montane forests from 1990-1995.

Former UPLB MNH curator for ants Dr. David Emmanuel M. General and his entomologist co-worker, Perry Archival C. Buenavente of the National Museum of the Philippines recently reported the first case of mermithism in ants in the Philippines. Mermithism is a condition in ants wherein an endoparasite nematode infects it, causing morphological changes to the ant.

In their paper recently published by the Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology (http://asbp.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/PJSB_2021-001.pdf), General and Buenavente wrote that they discovered the occurrence of mermithism in Pheidole sauberi, an ant species native to the Philippines, which they collected from the town of Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental Province.

A new species of highly troglobitic cockroach, this time from a limestone cave in Papua Province, Indonesia, has been described by MNH's junior entomologist Cristian C. Lucañas and his co-researchers from the Czech Republic and Indonesia. Through an article published by the journal Zootaxa (https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5082.3.7) last 17 December 2021, the team introduced Nocticola baumi n. sp., as the first Nocticola cockroach reported from the area.

According to the research team, the individuals of N. baumi n. sp. were collected from Hagepma cave in New Guinea Highlands, Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province. "They were found in small groups, crawling swiftly on the walls and banks of the cave," Lucañas reported. N. baumi is the first cave-dwelling cockroach from New Guinea island, and joins some carabid and diving beetles as the only troglobitic insects discovered so far there.

The UPLB Museum of Natural History (MNH) marked its 45th founding anniversary on September 30 with a special webinar series and launching of digital projects, in line with their theme “Museums in the New Normal: Their Role in Education, Research, and Extension”.

In her opening message, MNH Director Marian P. De Leon recalled the humble beginnings of the museum that she fondly referred to as "our second home." She also emphasized the role that MNH plays in the university’s threefold function of instruction, research, and extension.

UPLB Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. also joined the museum’s celebration. In his message, he recognized the continuous transition of museums to the new normal, emphasizing that these places should strive to be “accessible and relevant” to all.

Chancellor Camacho noted some of the good that has come out of this global pandemic, including “finding ways to make available technology work better for our needs,” a sentiment that will later be echoed by the speakers.

Interested in spiders, moths and butterflies? Looking for materials which can help you identify some of them in the field? We have some new publications for sale just for you!

The new book, "Philippine spiders, orb-weavers of the Family Araneidae" is available for PhP 500.00. Check this post -- New book, a checklist of Philippine orb-weaver spider, is out -- for more details on this book.

Also, for PhP 50.00 each, we have printed field guides on Butterflies of "Mt. Makiling", "Moths of Mt. Makiling," and "Spiders of Mt. Makiling." Each contains photos of more than 20 species of from each insect order which have been observed in Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna.

We have two different systems for ordering online, one for those outside Laguna who want their items to be shipped to them, and another for those residing in Laguna and willing to pick the items up after confirmation of payment.