Olga M. Nuñeza’s research while affiliated with Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology and other places

From San Miguel of the Mount Diwata Range, a new species of Anthracites was discovered and is described here: Anthracites inopinatus sp. nov. This new species is most similar to Anthracites furvuseques Tan, Baroga-Barbecho & Yap, 2018. From Lanuza, we report a new locality record for Salomona lumadae Tan, Baroga-Barbecho & Yap, 2018 in Surigao del Sur, having previously been described and known only from Siargao Island. A new species of Salomona was also found in Surigao del Sur and is described: Salomona manobo sp. nov. The calling song of this new species is also described here.

Flower visitation by orthopterans, particularly by taxa from Southeast Asia, was only recently brought to light in a report on the diversity and network of 41 orthopteran taxa from Southeast Asia visiting flowers of 35 plant taxa. Continued efforts to document flower visitation by orthopterans have led to 104 new incidences of flower visitation by orthopterans, including 17 new orthopteran taxa. A total of 247 incidences of 58 flower-visiting orthopteran taxa visiting 71 genera of flowers are reported here. In accordance with previous studies, the subfamily Phaneropterinae remains the most prominent flower-visiting orthopterans reported in Southeast Asia and is very likely undisputedly floriphilic. Using a dataset from previous years, the phylogenetic signals of flower-visiting orthopterans and the floral traits of the plant taxa visited are also discussed. However, we recommend caution against drawing too much inference at present owing to the unresolved phylogenetic relationships between the taxa involved and the incompleteness of the current dataset. Therefore, this paper primarily offers an updated list of flower-visiting orthopteran taxa and the flowers they visited. For a more comprehensive understanding of the flower-visiting orthopterans in the region and their ecological impacts, continued natural history research is needed.

The Chaperina fusca (saffron-bellied frog) is a common species of anurans in the Philippines. However, it still lacks a basic understanding of its natural history, particularly regarding its breeding behavior and ecology in the wild. In a herpetological fieldwork conducted in Rogongon, Iligan City, the Chaperina fusca exhibited a peculiar behavior, particularly in its parental care. Two adult individuals (male and female) of C. fusca were observed inside the water-filled hollow of the same tree fern stump, along with the tadpoles, suggesting parental care in the form of guarding their offspring both diurnally and nocturnally. This is the first observation denoting the parental care extension of the species from egg to tadpoles because the past literature only stated that they have egg guarding. Apart from this, differences in the chronobiological parenting behavior of the Chaperina fusca were also first documented in this paper. Thus, we highly recommend further assessment on this matter not just for this species but for other species as well.

Anthracites Redtenbacher, 1891 is a genus of Agraeciini with 13 species, of which 11 are found in the Philippines. In the Philippines, seven species were described from Mindanao, the most among other main islands. Based on recently collected material from different parts of Mindanao, we describe two additional new species: Anthracites alatus Tan, Bahoy & Sabang sp. nov. from Mount Balatukan in Misamis Oriental, and Anthracites sebu Tan, Bahoy & Sabang sp. nov. from Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. We also describe the previously-unknown males of Anthracites geniculatus Dohrn, 1905 and Anthracites pyramidalis Ingrisch, 2015. We also report new locality records for Anthracites flagellatus Ingrisch, 2015 on Mount Balatukan, Anthracites geniculatus in Surigao del Sur, Anthracites pyramidalis from Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, and Anthracites zebra Hebard, 1922 on Mount Malindang.

A new species of Falcerminthus is described from Zamboanga del Norte in western Mindanao: Falcerminthus hispidus sp. nov. We also present a new locality record for Falcerminthus parvus (Baroga-Barbecho & Robillard, 2020) in the south of Mindanao, i.e., South Cotabato, Lake Sebu; and Lebinthus luae Robillard & Tan, 2013 in Mindanao.

A new genus and a new species of Cladonotinae (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) is described from Mount Malindang in Mindanao, Philippines: Fartmanntettix undulatus Tan & Tumbrinck, gen. et sp. nov. Tentatively, we classify this new genus under the tribe Trusmaditetrigini Storozhenko, 2023 consisting of eight genera (including the new genus described here). This new genus is characterised from other representatives of the tribe by the distinctly undulated and raised carinae on the pronotum and femora. A key to the genera of the tribe is also provided.

The Ducetia japonica species group consists of 11 species widely distributed in Asia and Australia. It includes a single species from the Philippines: Ducetia adspersa Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878. Previously synonymized under Ducetia japonica (Thunberg, 1815), this species was resurrected for its unique stridulatory file. Based on its distinct stridulatory file morphology, male calling song and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I signature, we discovered and describe here a new species from Mindanao in the south of the Philippines: Ducetia laniae sp. nov. We also describe the calling song of this new species. This discovery underscores the rich biodiversity of the region and highlights the necessity for continued exploration and study to unravel the complexities within this genus.

A new species of Itara (Phormincter) is described from Mindanao in the Philippines: Itara (Phormincter) mindanao Tan, Grumo, Gono & Bahoy, sp. nov. This represents the first record of this subgenus in the Philippines, having previously known only from Borneo, Java, Malay Peninsula and Sumatra; as well as only the second species of Itara known from the Philippines and the first from Mindanao Island. The male calling song of the holotype was also recorded and is described here. Additionally, the male calling song of another congener, Itara (Singitara) singularis Gorochov, 1997 from Sabah, is described here. A new species of Itara (Bornitara) is also described from Sabah in Borneo: Itara (Bornitara) tenompok Tan, Japir & Chung, sp. nov.

Labajo-Villantes Y, Cootes J, Luo Y-B, Nuneza OM. 2024. Orchid diversity across different forest types on Mt. Malindang, Philippines. Biodiversitas 25: 605-615. Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park is one of the most significant biodiversity and conservation areas and is considered a biodiversity hotspot. There have been many biodiversity studies on Mt. Malindang, but information on orchid taxonomy and distribution is limited. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive inventory of orchids using an exploratory method. Samplings were conducted in different forest types: montane, mossy, dipterocarp, mixed dipterocarp, and almaciga. A total of 114 orchid species with 55 endemics were recorded. Three of these (Phalaenopsis x intermedia Lindl., Paphiopedilum hennisianum (M.W.Wood) Fowlie, and Paphiopedilum haynaldianum (Rchb.f.) Stein) were under Appendix I (can only be exported under specific circumstances). At the same time, 78 were under the Appendix II (follow controlled trades) categories of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. P. hennisianum and P. haynaldianum, listed as endangered species globally, were observed in montane and mossy forests, respectively. Among the six sampling sites, the montane forest was the most species-rich, with the most endemics, followed by the mossy forest. Almaciga and mixed dipterocarp forests were closely related with 100% similarity. The results of this study are valuable to Mt. Malindang's ecological profile for more effective protection and conservation plans.