The Philippine Journal of Science recently announced, through its upcoming 152nd volume, the discovery of the 6th species of Helicia in the Philippines. According to the journal, foresters from the University of the Philippines Los Baños led by Professor Pastor L. Malabrigo, Jr. found the new tree species, now named...
Cristian Lucañas and his two new LOTR-inspired cockroach genera
Cristian Lucañas, an insect taxonomist at the UPLB Museum of Natural History, is a young man on a mission. Just below his 30s, he has already described/co-described more than 14 species of cockroaches and other insects. Last week, as a result of his continuing studies to revise the cockroach genus...
New surveys in Mt. Guiting-guiting bolster protection of Sibuyan Islands
As one of the world's mega-biodiverse countries, the Philippines amazingly abounds in flora and fauna most of which are found nowhere else but in forests and aquatic ecosystems within the country's more than 7,000 islands. Particularly in the Sibuyan Islands of the Romblon Island Group in Central Philippines, an important...
Breaking the rules of nature: Orchid diversity as captured through breeding
Orchids are very large and popular species of flowering plants. They showcase a wide spectrum of diversity, coming in so many different colors, shapes, and sizes. Because orchids are traded as cut flowers and potted plants, they have great economic and ornamental value. Their natural and human-determined diversity were put...
Understanding bird strike risks through wildlife studies: MNH avifauna study at the Cesar Basa Air Base
Bird strikes, defined as collisions between birds and aircraft, pose a severe threat to aircraft and avifauna alike. These collisions are lethal to birds and may cause significant damage to airplanes and helicopters. Bird strikes which involve large single avian individuals or even flocks can cause various damages that may...
A jump of joy for these three new spiders from Luzon
We sat down with Dr. Aimee Lynn B. Dupo, an entomologist and first asked how spiders jump for joy. "Well, for one, spiders do not just go hopping around just for the fun of it," she smiled. "Jumping spiders of the spider family Salticidae use their jumping ability to pounce...
Two new mountain-dwelling mice in PH eat worms like kids slurping spaghetti
When we think of rodents and mice, we usually think of them as gnawing critters which will bite into anything they can fancy on. We hate them and consider them as pests, especially when they are inside our homes. But these two new species of mice, the first discovered in...
There are bugs that make spit, and four have been found in the Philippines
If you are a curious outdoors person, you may at least once have come across frothy slime smeared on vegetation. Your first thought may have been, “Gross! How could anyone spit around so carelessly?” But the chances of you touching another persons' sputum even on a hike are quite small....
Remembering James and his new cricket
I was not surprised at all when I heard that a new species of cricket was named after a very good friend. The publication had good timing, released online just three days before what should have been his 28th birthday. Today, May 8 marks five months since he has passed...
Makiling’s rare gems and the flies that come with them
‘Tis that time of the year when hikers and nature-trippers flock to the mountains to "bathe in the forest" and meditate in observance of the Lenten Season. Many people especially those from the nearby urban areas climb Mount Makiling which is easily the most accessible natural forest park from Metro...