Norma-Rashid Y.

University of Malaya | UM · Institute of Biological Sciences

Abstract: T. torrida showed territoriality at the water bodies where breeding occurs and also site fidility at the resting sites on tree trunks away from the water. At the latter, residentiality is very localised not only to a specific tree but to a narrow range of height on the tree. Activity patterns at the breeding sites commenced with the male...

Spider literature exclusive to Peninsular Malaysia is lacking and this work fi lls that gap with an annotated checklist of 425 species in 42 families and 238 genera. Twenty species are here listed as new records for Peninsular Malaysia.

This study reports the results of a re-analysis of the number of lateral eyes in extant buthids. Specimens studied were confined mostly to those from China and the adjacent areas. 353 specimens belonging to 20 species (subspecies) and 8 genera were rechecked and found to have 5 pairs of lateral eyes contrary to earlier published works which reporte...

The segmented trapdoor spiders (Liphistiidae) are the sole surviving family of the suborder Mesothelae, which forms the sister lineage to all other living spiders. Liphistiids have retained a number of plesiomorphic traits and their present-day distribution is limited to East and Southeast Asia. Studying this group has the potential to shed light o...

Identifying the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic variation in natural populations, and assessing the consequences of polymorphisms for individual fitness are fundamental goals in evolutionary and molecular ecology. Consistent between‐individual differences in behaviour have been documented for a variety of taxa. Dissecting the genetic bas...

The present study aims to investigate the susceptibility status of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) collected from residential areas in Sabah, Malaysia towards eight WHO-recommended dosages of larvicides representing the classes of organophosphates and organochlorines. Field and reference strains of Ae. albopictus larvae were bioassayed in accordance to WH...

Orb-web building spiders choose quality microhabitat to optimise foraging success. In this study, web-site selection of 12 tetragnathid species was investigated to determine its influence on the web characteristics. The two most significant variables were web size and the web height from ground (web-site). Statistical analyses showed that some tetr...

Predator-prey interactions play important roles in ecological communities. Personality, consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour, of predators, prey or both are known to influence inter-specific interactions. An individual may also behave differently under the same situation and the level of such variability may differ between individua...

Human-landing catch (HLC) technique was undertaken in nine selected study sites within Peninsular Malaysia to determine the biting cycle of Aedes, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia mosquitoes. HLC was conducted 24 hours on three different nights in a duration of one week at each study site. Aedes albopictus were found in all study sites with bimodal b...

The demographic history, population structure, and intraspecific diversity of the Globe Skimmer dragonfly Pantala flavescens Fabricius in Peninsular Malaysia were characterized based on variation of the mitochondria-encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences. A median-joining network of 94 taxa inferred 71 unique haplotypes across four...

This paper is the second part of a continuing series, with the main objective of compiling and recording the spider species that can be found in Sabah, Malaysia. Based on the specimens collected during this field trip, a total of 50 new records of spider species from 11 families and 37 genera have been found. This includes one newly discovered spid...

We examined the utility of DNA barcode data for assessing genetic diversity of the tiny dragonfly Nannophya pygmaea Rambur in Asia. Data analyses inferred from the barcode region of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) were performed with Malaysian N. pygmaea, along with the existing COI haplotypes distributed in Asia. We applied four species delimit...

Surveillance of mosquitoes and their distribution in association with rainfall, relative humidity, and temperature were conducted in selected suburban and forested areas, namely, Sungai Penchala (Kuala Lumpur) and Taman Alam (Selangor) for 12 months. Armigeres kesseli was the most abundant species in Sungai Penchala while Aedes butleri was the most...

The morphotaxonomy of Rhipicephalus microplus complex has been challenged in the last few years and prompted many biologists to adopt a DNA-based method for distinguishing the members of this group. In the present study, we used a mitochondrial DNA analysis to characterise the genetic assemblages, population structure and dispersal pattern of R. mi...

A multi-locus approach was used to examine the DNA sequences of 10 nominal species of blackfly in the Simulium subgenus Gomphostilbia (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Malaysia. Molecular data were acquired from partial DNA sequences of the mitochondria-encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes, and the nuclear-encoded 18S rR...

Background The brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus Koch, 1841) has colonised many parts of the world from its continent of origin, Africa. By at least 1841, the species had successfully established populations in South America and has more recently expanded its range to the southern states of North America. This highly adaptable spider has...

Living fossils are lineages that have retained plesiomorphic traits through long time periods. It is expected that such lineages have both originated and diversified long ago. Such expectations have recently been challenged in some textbook examples of living fossils, notably in extant cycads and coelacanths. Using a phylogenetic approach, we teste...

Susceptibility status of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus Skuse larvae obtained from 12 states in Malaysia were evaluated against five insect growth regulators (IGRs), namely, pyriproxyfen, methoprene, diflubenzuron, cyromazine, and novaluron under laboratory conditions. Field populations of Ae. aegypti exhibited moderate resistance toward m...

Two new species from the genus Opadometa Archer, 1951 (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) are described, the O. sarawakensis sp. nov. and O. kuchingensis sp. nov. from Bako National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Descriptions, illustrations and summary on the web characters are provided based on female specimens.

A new species of the twig-legged orb-weaver spider from the genus Cyphalonotus Simon 1895, C. selangor sp. nov., is illustrated and described based on a female specimen from Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Malaysia.

Sejumlah 1,153 individu pepatung yang terdiri daripada individu dewasa, larva dan exuviae yang mewakili 46 spesies daripada sembilan famili Odonata telah berjaya dikutip dan direkodkan di Hutan Lipur Lubuk Semilang, Langkawi daripada April 2013 hingga April 2014. Libellulidae (suborder Anisoptera) menyumbang jumlah spesies yang paling tinggi iaitu...

The population genetic structure of Simulium tani was inferred from mitochondria-encoded sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunits I (COI) and II (COII) along an elevational gradient in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. A statistical parsimony network of 71 individuals revealed 71 haplotypes in the COI gene and 43 haplotypes in the COII gene; the conca...

Background: There are several species of mosquitoes that readily attack people, and some are capable of transmitting microbial organisms that cause human diseases including dengue, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis. The mosquitoes of major concern in Malaysia belong to the genera Culex, Aedes, and Armigeres. Objective: To study the host-seeking be...

The seasonal variation of spider assemblages in botanical garden was investigated. The spiders were manually collected by diurnal and nocturnal session between two seasons. A total of 19 families from 65 genera and 96 species were recorded. Richness-estimator indicates the inventory were 67% complete within the botanical garden. The capture rate fo...

Observation on predation activities of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) on the larvae of three species of mosquito, namely Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus was carried out under laboratory conditions. Male and female guppies were used as predators for predation experiments on the 4th instars of mosquito larvae. The daily fee...

Biological control has come a long way towards adapting to the changing needs of agricultural pest suppression. Current trends in agriculture towards reduced pesticide use and ecological sustainability have led to surge of interest in spiders as potential biological control agents. This is because spiders have the capacity to exist in various condi...

This chapter revealed the efficacy of three predominant dragonfly species found in a natural population where the survey of mosquito population was conducted. Nymphs of dragonflies belonging to family Libellulidae, Neurothemis fluctuans, Orthetrum sabina, and Orthetrum chrysis, were used as predators on the IV instar of mosquito larvae, Aedes albop...

The odonate fauna of five islands within the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, namely Besar Island (Melaka), Carey Island (Selangor), Pangkor Island (Perak), Penang Island (Penang) and Langkawi Island (Kedah) were surveyed. A total of 54 species belonging to 12 family groups were identified. The highlights of the collection is an endemic species o...

Abstract This paper provides, for the first time, a preliminary overview of species richness of the spider fauna in Sarawak, a comprehensive bibliography of taxonomic literature containing references to Sarawak spiders, and a snapshot of the history of research of Sarawak spiders. A total of 305 morpho-species of spiders spanning across 38 familie...

There has been no comprehensive study on biochemical characterization of insecticide resistance mechanisms in field populations of Malaysian Culex quinquefasciatus. To fill this void in the literature, a nationwide investigation was performed to quantify the enzyme activities, thereby attempting to characterize the potential resistance mechanisms i...

We conducted mosquito surveillance at outdoor breeding habitat in 459 households at 7 urban locations in Putrajaya, Malaysia from January to December 2010 to determine the predominant species and breeding locations. The most common species found at all locations was Aedes albopictus. Gardening utensils were the most common breeding sites. Of the 1,...

Background: Blowflies (order: Diptera, family: Calliphoridae) and house flies (order: Diptera, family: Muscidae)are important indicators to determine postmortem intervals in forensic entomology. Knowledge of the ecology and bionomics of individual species is necessary for the use of these flies as forensic indicators. Baited trapping is often emplo...

The present study explored the intraspecific genetic diversity, dispersal patterns and phylogeographic relationships of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) in Malaysia using reference data available in GenBank in order to reveal this species' phylogenetic relationships. A statistical parsimony network of 70 taxa aligned as 624 character...

The orchid mantis, Hymenopus coronatus (Insecta: Mantodea), is renown for its visual resemblance to a flower blossom. It has been hypothesised that the 'flowerlike' orchid mantis is an aggressive mimic that attracts pollinators as prey items. This is the first study into the morphology of the orchid mantis that explores this widely discussed hypoth...

Larvae of Aedes albopictus obtained from dengue endemic areas in Selangor, Malaysia were evaluated for their susceptibility to operational dosage of temephos (1 mg/L). Larval bioassays were carried out in accordance to modified WHO standard methods. Biochemical microassay of enzymes in Ae. albopictus was conducted to detect the emergence of insecti...

This study reports the results of a re-analysis of the number of lateral eyes in extant buthids. Specimens studied were confined mostly to those from China and the adjacent areas. 353 specimens belonging to 20 species (subspecies) and 8 genera were rechecked and found to have 5 pairs of lateral eyes contrary to earlier published works which reporte...

Caves are among the most fascinating environments on Earth. Specialised cave biota provides evidence of evolutionary adaptations for living under severe conditions. However, little attention has been paid to the behaviour of cave spiders. In this study, we compared life history, including maternal care, cooperative prey-capture, tolerance among sib...

Larval survey was carried out in 6 localities in the urban areas (Putrajaya) and suburban areas (Kuala Selangor) from January until December 2010. A total of 520 representative households in 6 localities were selected. Breeding habitats were sampled outdoors in the surroundings of housing areas. The study indicated that the most predominant species...

Ficus obscura var. borneensis is a true myrmecophyte. It spontaneously forms cavities (domatia) in parts of its twigs which open by slits, These occur in the internodes and are usually not swollen. The domatia are inhabited by a variety of non-specific tree-living ants including Crematogaster spp., Cataulacus sp., Tetramorium sp., Cardio condyla sp...

This study examines the diversity and distribution of spiders in the mangrove areas in Peninsular Malaysia which is hoped to contribute towards understanding the dynamics of the mangrove ecosystem. Little research has been done on local spiders and inventory from this habitat is rare. From faunal samples taken along transects from upper to lower zo...

Abstract The hemimetabolous preliminary studies on the life cycle of Indocnemis orang is here reported for the first time, being completed in 6 instars for a minimum duration of 69 days. It can be classified as a stenotopic species being sensitive to biotope requirements but having tolerance towards fluctuating water qualities during its developmen...

The odonate fauna of Pulau Perak, Pulau Jarak and some islands of the Sembilan group of islands were surveyed. Although no endemics were found, fifteen species, all first records for the islands were documented. Various biological aspects of the dragonfly such as population, distribution and relative abundance were discussed. Morphometric aspects w...

The species Coeliccia albicauda (Förster, 1907) an exclusively forested species has a common status in Malaysia. The females are however very elusive and under represented in field samplings. This paper discusses the descriptions of sexual dimorphism between sexes that will assist in a straightforward future identification, so as to elucidate the t...

Home range sizes and spatial overlap of four sympatric squirrel species were investigated in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Malaysia using a radio-tracking method. The population density of Callosciurus caniceps was highest and C. notatus was next highest, while C. nigrovittatus and Lariscus insignis were scarce. C. caniceps was larger than C. nig...

Periophthalmodon septemradiatus (Hamilton) is recorded for the first time from Peninsular Malaysia, from the Selangor and Muar Rivers. Along the Selangor River, the mudskipper occurs on mud banks amongst the mangrove Sonneratia caseolaris and in the small tributaries of the river with Nypa fruticans and village orchard trees, in water that is large...

Parameters a and b of the length-weight relationship (LWR) were estimated for eleven species of mudskippers caught in the coastal areas of Selangor, Malaysia. The values of b ranged from 2.56 to 3.50 with the mean b equal to 2.95 (n=11; sd=0.302). A normal distribution of the calculated LWR exponent (b) was obtained.

Fifty-nine species of Odonata were collected in a recent study in the freshwater swamp lake of Tasek Bera, Peninsular Malaysia, in contrast to 33 species that were recorded previously from the Ramsar site. This study added 35 species to the odonate records and together with the museum records, the number of species for the site now stands at 78 fro...

Abstract;Niche segregation among three sympatric species of squirrels, Callosciurus notatus, C. caniceps and Sundasciurus lowii inhabiting a lowland dipterocarp forest was studied in the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Diurnal activity of the three species had two peaks. Sundasciurus lowii and C. caniceps were more restri...

A psychiatric morbidity assessment was conducted on students from 3 different secondary schools and a university. A total number of 1260 respondents from a questionnaire were collected. Tertiary education imposed high incidences of emotional health problems in contrast to secondary level. This was partially attributed to the existence of predominan...

Colony composition and behavior of queens in the ponerine antOdontomachus rixosus were investigated in Bogor (West Java) and Ulu Gombak (Penisular Malaysia). The colonies had multiple dealate queens, with a maximum of 82 queens per colony. Majority of queens (92.4%) were inseminated and laid eggs, however, the degree of ovarian development slightly...

When male chicks have to choose whether to orient by distant or proximal cues, chicks using the left eye (and so the right hemisphere) orient far better and make more use of distant cues than do right-eyed chicks. When both eyes are in use, left eye systems are mainly responsible for orientation, whereas right eye systems may concentrate on identif...

To date, few publications have been solely devoted to the Singapore odonate fauna. This publication attempts to fill this gap and encourage in-depth studies into this remarkable fauna. To date, including 11 new records presented here, 117 species of odonates are known from Singapore. An annotated checklist of the Odonata specimens held in the Raffl...