Ants of Singapore #12 - Echinopla (lineata)

Echinopla

Species accounts

Echinopla lineata Mayr 1872

Kent Ridge, Singapore, 2014

Kent Ridge, Singapore, 2014

Ants of Singapore #11 - Polyrhachis (cf. tubifex)

Polyrhachis

Species accounts

Polyrhachis cf. tubifex 

Polyrhachis cf. tubifex nest with alate.
Larvae with cocoon.
Lives in bamboo culms.

Worker with alate. Worker biting on the alate wings.

Alate in the nest.

A view of the alate. 

Worker carrying larvae.

Further reading:

- http://ripley.si.edu/ent/nmnhtypedb/images/pdfs/12311.pdf

- http://ripley.si.edu/ent/nmnhtypedb/images/pdfs/14656.pdf

Ants of Singapore #10 - Amblyopone (reclinata)

Amblyopone

Species accounts

Amblyopone reclinata Mayr, 1879

Distribution: Luzon

Saw these really cool Amblyopone cf reclinata ants. They belong to the subfamily Amblyoponinae. Check out those mean jaws. 

These ants belong to a group of "Dracula ants".

Ants of the genus Amblyopone has "footprint gland" which is used in recruitment via secretion of a pheromone [1]. This allows for quick recruitment [2].

[1] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1467803905000022

[2] http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01240704#page-1

Ants of Singapore #09 - Gnamptogenys (costatus)

Gnamptogenys

Species accounts

Gnamptogenys costatus (Emery 1889)


Type locality: Myanmar
Distribution: Burma, Philippines (Mindanao), Borneo, Sumatra, West Malaysia, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sulawesi, Sumatra, Java), Singapore, Thailand

Gnamptogenys costatus

Gnamptogenys costatus is a species that nests in dead logs. 

What's going on at Pasir Ris beach?

I had a short and relaxing break at a family-organised chalet in Aloha Loyang and thoroughly enjoyed the good food and company in my 2D1N stay there. As usual, I went on a very small scale exploration of the Pasir Ris breah coastline just outside the chalet area but was taken aback by the amount of trash and dead organisms on the beach.

Heavily littered coastline. I believe that most of the trash is derived from Pulau Ubin that is directly opposite..

More trash and P. Ubin in the distance

I am not very sure why there is just so many dead organisms here. Within a 50 metre stretch of sand, I have counted about 5 dead horseshoe crabs, 6 dead fishes, 2 dead crabs and likely to be many many more, since I wasn't paying attention to every detail. The Loyang Shipyard was close by and the pollution derived from it could be a possible reason.

Dead horseshoe crab

Dead filefish

Dead unidentified fish

Dead catfish?

Dead flower swimming crab

Dead swimming crab

More trash is seen during the lowest tide of about 80 cm

Durian husk. (hrmm)

Grey heron flew by. :)

Pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills in the distance..

Was mind-blowned by the trashy beach until I heard some squeaks and spotted a pod of Smooth-coated Otters swimming pretty fast along the coast. Most had fishes in their mouth and I wonder if those fishes are even healthy/fresh ones to begin with. :/

In short, this experience serves as a great reminder of the need to manage our waste properly and not throw them into the sea in an irresponsible manner... Gotta keep our beaches clean!! >_<

Adventures - Cusuco National Park, Honduras

I've never really made an effort to blog about the field trip in Honduras (country in Central America) and here it is.

I was there with Operational Wallacea, as a research assistant to the terrestrial scientists in Cusuco National Park. I did the research assistant module on Jungle Survival and Neo-tropical Ecology.

So where in the world is Honduras/Cusuco NP?

It is a Central American country (zoom out on map).

It's a unique biogeographical region North of the Ismuth of Panama, a famous land strip which linked North and South America about 3 million years ago (Leigh et al 2013).

Cusuco National Park is near to San Pedro Sula, the capital city (North of Honduras). In order make way for coffee plantations, some of the national park has been destroyed and has been at threat of further destruction.

How did we all get to the field site?

It was a 2 hour + journey by (magic-school) bus, then a four-wheel drive to the Cusuco National Park.

Throughout the bumpy four-wheel drive, we got to see vegetational differences with elevation - a mixed forest essentially. It is the Southern-most limit of some North American plant species together with South-American species such as Bromeliads.

Four-wheel Drive to Cusuco National Park from San Pedro Sula (Capital City of Honduras). Our luggage in one truck (above).

The road was quite bumpy. 

What did we do as research assistants?

In the first week, we did the module on Jungle Survival and Neotropical Ecology at the base camp.

Neotropical Ecology: sat in for lectures

Jungle Survival: went in the "jungles" to learn how to "survive" on bare necessities. We learnt how to pitch hammocks with tarps, 

It got pretty cold at night and in the mornings for a tropical-dweller like me. Bathing was a pain though, in that sense. No one really bothered to bathe much anyway - but I did because of rashes.

In the subsequent week(s), one could choose to stay in the base camp to be a research assistant or move on to satellite camps. I chose to move on to the satellite camps, to El Danto which was a six-hour hike away (note: pack light). 

Fieldwork to look for frogs and reptiles.

Tents in camp which we stayed in at camp. We stayed in hammocks when out in the field. 

At the satellite camp, El Danto.

The six-hour hike to El Danto satellite camp.

What was the best thing about the trip?

To me, the best thing about the trip was probably the scenery and unique flora and fauna seen in the trip. Sadly, I think I did not spend enough time there to appreciate it more or do more fieldwork. 

• There were mixed forests, and there was a pretty amazing dwarf forest (bosque enaño). 
• South American and North American flora in one place.
• There were orchids in the cloud forests. 
• Jewel scarabs (which I didn't get to see), dung beetles, humming birds (Mountain Gem), Quetzal (which I didn't get to see) and frogs as well.
• Surprisingly no fishes in Cusuco except for Poecillids

Almost above the clouds.

Pristine streams.

Pools

Bromeliads abound.

Beautiful tree ferns.

Rushing water.

How was sanitation like?

This might be a question lots of people would ask. Generally, there were places to bathe in, at the camps. However, many would choose not to bathe often because the weather was cool enough. There were flush toilets at the base camp and ditches dug at the satellite camp I went to. It didn't stink so that was good.

Well, it is field work after all and don't expect urban living.

Camp site.

"Ecofriendly" spots to brush teeth/spit.

Pathway to the toilet.

References

Leigh et al 2013: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23869709

Things we do for class - Species pages

For most of the last semester, we have been working on these species pages for our taxonomy class. Eunice's page is none other than being focused on what she does best, ANTs. And so her target species is Proatta butteli, a really interesting ant. As for me, I have decided to focus on a bird species, the Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa). The reason for doing so is because I have a love for birds too (not just dung beetles) and this species is one of my favourites.

Screenshots of our species pages. TOP: Proatta butteli. BOTTOM: Gracula religiosa

Our pages are found at this website, http://taxo4254.wikispaces.com/, together with other species pages done by other students as well. Enjoy~