An updated overview of the Odonata recorded for the Palawan Biogeographic Region -International Conference on Biosphere and Sustainability

Abstract

Odonata are one of the better-studied insect groups in the Philippines, including in portions of the Palawan biogeographic region. Based on literature review and fieldwork, this paper provide the most recent listing of species for the Palawan biogeographic region with a total of 80 species recorded. However, despite the presence of several dozen islands in the Palawan region, there are odonatological records for only six of these islands. This shows the huge gap of odonatological knowledge for portions of the Palawan biogeographic region. Several species are yet to be described based on existing materials. Also, several species are expected to be discovered after more extensive fieldwork is executed, especially in islands within the region in which little to no fieldwork has been commenced.

Full text

AN UPDATED OVERVIEW OF
ODONATA IN THE PALAWAN
BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGION
July 25, 2019 - International Conference on Biosphere and Sustainability
Reagan Joseph Villanueva1, Jonah van Beijnen2and Edgar Jose3
1Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao, Philippines
2Fins and Leaves, Wageningen, The Netherlands
3Western Philippines University, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines

Introduction
•Odonata are a charismatic insect order and are
relatively well studied.
•There are about 7,000 species of Odonata globally.
•Many species have narrow distributional ranges and
have preferred habitats, mostly undisturbed lowland
wetlands and forests.
•For these reasons Odonata are extensively used as
indicator for environmental health and conservation
management.

•In the Philippines, almost 300 species of Odonata have been
recorded.
•The majority of Odonata research are conducted in the Greater
Mindanao biogeographic region.
•Few of the recent studies have focused on local Odonata fauna
for places outside the Greater Mindanao region.
Introduction

Methods
•This paper is principally based on literature review.
•Odonata records from Hamalainen & Muller (1997) and related
scientific publications after their work.
•We have also incorporated the results of the fieldworks and
opportunistic observations conducted by our team in Palawan
over the years.

Results
•Nine scientific papers have published treating Odonata
with representative from Palawan biogeographic region in
the past 21 years.
•One large field study at Cleopatra's Needle Mountain
Range.
•10 years of opportunistic observations and photographic
evidences.
•92 species from 12 Odonata families were confirmed to
occur in Palawan Biogeographic region.
•14 potential new species that awaits official description.

Majority of Odonata records were
obtained only in 6 areas in the
Palawan biogeographic region after
Hamalainen & Muller (1997)
Map of Palawan showing the
locations where Odonata were
assessed over the past 2 decades
Results

An updated overview of the Odonata recorded for the Palawan Biogeographic Region
Palawan
Dumaran
Cuyo
Busuanga
Balabac
Albaguin
Family:
Platystictidae
1
Drepanosticta ceratophora
x x
2
Drepanosticta quadricornu
x x
3
Telosticta parautia
x
Family:
Platycnemididae
1
Asthenocnemis linnaei
x
2
Asthenocnemis stephanodera
x
3
Asthenocnemis sp. n.1
x
4
Coeliccia axinocercus
x
5
Coeliccia boettcheri
x x x
6
Coeliccia palawana
x
7
Coeliccia werneri
x
8
Coeliccia sp n. 1
x
9
Copera vittata palawana
x x
10
Prodasineura palawana
x x x
11
Prodasineura poncei
x
12
Prodasineura sp.n. 1
x
13
Prodasineura sp.n. 2
x
14
Prodasineura sp. n. 3
x
Results

Tetracanthagyna brunnea, only found in undisturbed primary forests.
The second largest dragonfly in the world with a wingspan of 15 centimeter!

Family:
Coenagrionidae
Palawan
Dumaran
Cuyo
Busuanga
Balabac
Albaguin
1
Aciagrion borneense
x
2
Agriocnemis femina
x x x
3
Agriocnemis pygmaea
x
4
Argiocnemis rubescens intermedia
x x x
5
Archibasis viola
x
6
Ceriagrion calamineum
x x
7
Ceriagrion cerinorubellum
x
8
Ischnura senegalensis
x x
9
Mortonagrion astamii
x
10
Pseudagrion microcephalum
x x x
11
Pseudagrion pilidorsum
x x x
12
Pseudagrion sp. n. 1
x
13
Stenagrion petermilleri
x
14
Teinobasis olivacea
x x x
15
Teinobasis rubricauda
x x
16
Teinobasis samaritis
x x
17
Teinobasis sp. cf. samaritis
x
18
Xiphiagrion
cyanomelas x x
Results

Neurobasis daviesi (Calopterygidae) male.
This Palawan endemic was not seen since its discovery in 2006 until our team rediscovered it in
2014 at Cleopatra’s Needle, Central Palawan.

Family:
Lestidae
Palawan
Dumaran
Cuyo
Busuanga
Balabac
Albaguin
1
Lestes p. praemorsus
x x
2
Lestes quercifolia
Family:
Chlorocyphidae
1
Rhinocypha humeralis
x x x
x
Family:
Euphaeidae x
1
Cyclophaea cyanifrons
x x
2
Euphaea subcostalis
x
Family:
Calopterygidae
1
Neurobasis daviesi
x
2
Vestalis amaryllis
x
Family:
Gomphidae
1
Heliogomphus olivaceus
x x
2
Ictinogomphus decoratus melaenops
x x
3
Leptogomphus palawanus
x x x x
4
Microgomphus sp.n. 1
x
5
Paragomphus sp. n. 1
x
6
Paragomphus sp. n. 2
x
7
Phaenandrogomphus treadawayi
x
Results

N. daviesi female, showing courting behaviour.

Family: Aeshnidae
Palawan
Dumaran
Cuyo
Busuanga
Balabac
Albaguin
1
Anax guttatus
x
2
Gynacantha basiguttata
x
3
Gynacantha bayadera
x
4
Gynacantha dohrni
x
5
Gynacantha hyalina
x x
6
Gynacantha subinterrupta
x x
7
Heliaeschna uninervulata
x
8
Oligoaeschna sp. n. 1
x
9
Tetracanthagyna brunnea
x
x
Family: Chlorogomphidae
1
Chlorogomphus sp. n.1
x x
Family: Corduliidae
x
1
Epophthalmia vittigera
x x
2
Hemicordulia mindana
x
3
Idionyx sp.n. 1
x x
4
Macromia cincta
x
5
Macromia negrito
x
6
Macromia westwoodi
x
7
Macromidia asahinai
x

A very rare tree dwelling and possibly new species of Lyriothemis from Aborlan

Family:
Libellulidae
Palawan
Dumaran
Cuyo
Busuanga
Balabac
Albaguin
Palawan
1
Acisoma panorpoides
x
2
Aethriamanta gracilis
x
3
Agrionoptera insignis
x x
4
Brachydiplax chalybea
x x x x
5
Camacinia gigantea
x
6
Cratilla I. lineata
x x
7
Cratilla metallica
x
8
Diplacina bolivari
x x
9
Diplacina braueri
x
10
Diplacina paragua
x
11
Diplacodes trivialis
x x x x x x
12
Hydrobasileus croceus
x x
13
Lathrecista asiatica
x x x
14
Lyriothemis cleis
x x
15
Macrodiplax cora
x
16
Nesoxenia lineata
x x
17
Neurothemis fluctuans
x x x
18
Neurothemis ramburii
x x
19
Neurothemis terminata
x x x x x x
20
Onychothemis sp. n. 1
x
21
Orthetrum chrysis
x x x x
22
Orthetrum luzonicum
x
23
Orthetrum pruinosum clelia
x x
24
Orthetrum sabina
x x x
25
Orthetrum testaceum
x x
26
Pantala flavescens
x x x
27
Potamarcha congener
x x x
28
Protorthemis intermedia
x

29
Raphismia bispina
x x
30
Rhyothemis phyllis
x x x
31
Rhyothemis regia
x x
32
Rhyothemis triangularis
x
33
Rhodothemis rufa
x x
34
Tholymis tillarga
x x
35
Tetrathemis irregularis
x x
36
Tramea transmarina euryale
x
37
Trithemis aurora
x x x x
38
Trithemis festiva
x
39
Zyxomma obtusum
x
40
Zyxomma petiolatum
x x
Family: Libellulidae
Family:
Libellulidae
Palawan
Dumaran
Cuyo
Busuanga
Balabac
Albaguin
Palawan

Rhyothemis triangularis photographed in Langogan River.

The recently described Diplacina paragua, mating at
Cleopatra’s Needle, Palawan.

Discussion
•The 92 described species and 14 potential new to science for the
Palawan biogeographic region shows the province is an
important area for Odonata research.
•Many of these species are endemic in Palawan.
•All of the endemic species only occur in undisturbed lowland
wetlands and forests habitats, where both habitats are under
threat in Palawan.
•This would likewise be a serious risk to the future survival of
Odonata in the province.

•There is no new update on the odonata fauna of Albaguin
Island since the work of Hämäläinen & Müller, 1997. There is
a need to re-visit the island to explore its Odonata after
more than two decades.
Additional material of the new species of Prodasineura and
the possible new Pseudagrion in Balabac Island needs to be
collected for verification and official description. It is
expected that several species from Borneo is likely occur in
Balabac which may potentially increase the number of
species for the region.
Discussion

•Vestalis amaryllis need to be relocated. Otherwise, it’s a
potential local extinction for the Palawan faunal region and the
Philippines in general. Palawan is the only known site for this
Bornean species in the Philippines.
•No recent odonatological fieldwork has been done in
Busuanga Island and with the high deforestation/development
rate in the area, this should be a priority.
•Similarly, there is a serious need to revisit Cuyo Island and to
locate the habitat of a local population of Coeliccia boettcheri.
This is the only Philippine endemic species found in this island.
•Moreover, additional fieldwork is needed for the entire
Dumaran and Araceli Island and the remaining island
municipalities of the region.
Discussion

Policy Implication
How are we going to save these wonders of nature?
1. More research need to be created for complete overview of the
Odonata in the Palawan biogeographic region.
2. The threats that each of the species are facing should likewise be
address so that local extinction can hopefully be averted for the
more sensitive locally endemic species.
3. The limiting element for local researchers in conducting
scientific studies in Palawan is the lack of funding and the long
democratic process of securing research permits.
4. More attention should be given to the protection of the last
remaining lowland wetlands and forests in the province.

Ictinogomphus decoratus in TayTay.
Thank You For Listening!