Salagubang featured in pinoycentric.com

September 27th, 2006 | 2 Comments

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I just got a text message from my amour (who emailed me the above image) saying that, at last, my article has been featured in pinoycentric.com, an online journal for Filipinos that is based in the US. Too bad, the picture they used was badly cut. Anyway, its not always that my salagubang is being highlighted :-)

Pinoycentric, by the way, will be featured in inq7.net for its launch.

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Two new Philippine beetle species already published!

July 30th, 2005 | No Comments

My Catalan entomologist friend, Eduard Vives, just sent me his newly published paper (from Lambillionea). Below are scanned parts:

I’m overjoyed! Its a recognition of my efforts in furthering the study and knowledge of Philippine Coleoptera. Muchos gracias Eduard!

Related posts:

Heffernia filipina VIVES, 2005
Trypogeus cabigasi VIVES, 2005

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Not too good a collecting trip

June 27th, 2005 | 1 Comment

I was raring to go on a collecting trip in Banaue last weekend but a check with the weather forecast seemed not good: Rains until Tuesday. I opted instead to go back to Quezon last Sunday with my friend Ryan hoping to find Pachyrrhynchini. I should confess that the trip with brothers Paul and Jean Siraudeau in North Luzon about 3 weeks ago (haven’t yet blogged about that one) and a visit to Ismael to check his papers and collection made a great impression on me and the realization that there really is a great need to know the extent of this great curculionid tribe in the Philippines.

We started out at around 0400H but arrived at ER in Atimonan about 0930H. While we passed by another way, not the park entrance, it proved to be very difficult and a guide was necessary as we traversed the side of the mountain leading to Pinagbanderahan. This meant trekking on a steep slope and passing over sharp (razor sharp by the way) and slippery rocks, humid, hot and dark jungle but, thank god, no mosquitos bit me. When we reached the peak, we were only able to collect a few species of Metapocyrtus and one Pseudapocyrtus and nothing else. There were buprestids flying but were just hard to reach. Around 15 minutes of reaching that area, it just started to drizzle then rained and rained and rained very hard. We had no option but to go down and hiked the trail and road until we reached the park’s entrance.

Except for a few specimens as consolation, this trip was just tiring, kind of difficult and very wet. No Pachyrrnynchus at all.

Specimens that I got that I prepared last night for drying:

A beautiful Tricondyla sp. with a bluish sheen (will be sent to Fabio Cassola for identification but will be returned to me), Oberea sp. and Euryphagus sp.



Metapocyrtus sp.
1 (female and male), Pseudapocyrtus sp., Metapocyrtus sp. 2 and 3

Metapocyrtus sp. 4 (female and male) and 5 (female and male) and Curculionid species 1 & 2.

While there was no Pachyrrhynchus sp. found, 5 different but almost similar Metapocyrtus sp. was quite interesting. One other thing, these were killed in ethyl acetate, a recommended procedure which makes these very soft and pliable. I was quite suprised that these beetles were not difficult to mount unlike those fixed in alcohol that makes it sclerotized and difficult to position.

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Away on travel

June 7th, 2005 | No Comments

Currently in North Luzon, probably in Kalinga or Apayao and Ilocos Norte for a collecting trip with my bon ami Paul Siraudeau and his brother as well as with Ismael Lumawig. Will be back next week…

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Nidella stanleyi VIVES, 2005

May 14th, 2005 | No Comments

Nidella stanleyi VIVES, 2005 is another new species from Mindanao that Eduard Vives will be describing and publishing within the year. This was included in the parcel I sent to him last year.

The genus Nidella is a new record for Mindanao and the Philippines. Like the new cerambycid species that I’ve posted earlier, these beetles are small and feeds on the flowers of trees during the months of April - May. As what Eduard said, its closest relative is a species in Vietnam!

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