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The dragonflies were studied as indicators for healthy environment and good atmosphere based on the seasonal occurrence, abundance and flight activities aspects at National Kandawgyi Gardens (NKGs) from June 2008 to September 2011. The 30 species of dragonflies are distributed among three families. Dragonflies belonging to order Odonata are a well- known group of insects that are widely distributed all over the world and many people appreciate their striking colours and acrobatic flights. They are widely distributed in variable habitats such as ponds, lakes, streams, rivers and canals of all sizes. Since NKGs is diverse habitat, such as a lake, ponds, freshwater swamp, peat swamp, etc., different habitats are suitable for feeding, mating, perching and reproduction of many dragonfly species. The present research pursued to support the combination of conservation measures to ensure the continued survival of dragonflies and NKGs not only attracts human but a variety of living assets, including the dragonflies.

The taxon Hipposideros nicobarulae is elevated to a distinct species and an amended description is included. It is geographically restricted to the Nicobar Islands in the Andaman Sea where it has been found roosting in caves and deserted buildings. It is differentiated by size and external, cranial and dental morphology from Hipposideros ater from the Indian Subcontinent. Both taxa are distinguished from a new species, Hipposideros sp. nov., herein described from the Rakhine coast of western Myanmar, with referred material from Tanintharyi Division in southern Myanmar. In all cases, individuals were found roosting in human habitation. Information on the conservation status, distribution and ecology of the three species are included.

Recent field studies have provided new data for a review of the taxonomy, acoustic characters, distribution, and ecology of two often confused rhinolophid species, which have essentially parapatric distributions in continental Southeast Asia. Rhinolophus coelophyllus is widespread ranging from northern Myanmar to northern Malaysia, eastern Thailand and provisionally western Lao PDR. R. shameli is restricted to eastern Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and central and southern Vietnam. There are well defined differences in skull morphology, size, and echolocation call frequency, which discriminate between the two taxa.

Based on recent field surveys in Thailand, Myanmar, and northern peninsular Malaysia, this paper reviews the taxonomy, morphometric and acoustic characters, distribution and ecology of the little known, globally endangered species Hipposideros halophyllus. It lists nine new localities records, including the first from northern and peninsular Thailand, which represent a substantial increase in the species' known range; it confirms the record from northern peninsular Malaysia. In addition, it provides further information on two other small species of the Hipposideros bicolor group, H. ater and H. cineraceus.

The taxon Rhinolophus microglobosus is elevated to specific rank on the basis of clearly defined morphometric and acoustic characters which differentiate it from Rhinolophus stheno. It is recorded from Cambodia for the first time. Rhinolophus malayanus exhibits considerable geographical variation in echolocation calls, with apparently two phonic types: a northern population with lower frequency calls and a predominantly southern population with higher frequencies. However, this acoustic divergence is not reflected in any morphometric divergence, and the taxonomic status of the two phonic populations remains unclear. Discriminating characters of all three species are given, together with distribution data and short ecological summaries. The value of echolocation as an indicator of cryptic species and the zoogeographical implications of the study are briefly discussed.

The bumble-bee bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) is an endangered species with a limited distribution range and a suspected declining population. Of the 30 microsatellites developed and tested in C. thonglongyai, 16 were amplified in two multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). Based on genotypes of 64 individuals from two populations, expected heterozygosities, averaged 0.50 in Myanmar and 0.61 in Thailand. Only one pair of loci showed linkage disequilibrium in one population and no deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was detected. This set of 16 microsatellites will be useful to study population structure and gene flow in C. thonglongyai.

The bumble-bee bat Craseonycteris thonglongyai of the monospecific family Craseonycteridae is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. First discovered in 1973, it was until recently only known from a small population of approximately 2,300 individuals restricted to the catchment area of the River Kwai, Thailand. However, in 2001 a single craseonycterid was discovered in Mon State, Myanmar, extending its geographical range by approximately 250 km. In October and November 2002 a survey was undertaken to examine the status of C. thonglongyai in Myanmar and assess its geographical distribution and population size. C. thonglongyai calls were recorded from bats emerging from nine of 19 caves surveyed; the population size was estimated to be 1,500. The phylogenetic relationships between the Thai and Myanmar populations were investigated using molecular, morphological and acoustic data. Morphologically, the two populations are indistinguishable. However, there is an 8–10 kHz echolocation call divergence between the populations. Cytochrome b data suggest that the two populations are similar and that the Myanmar population may be monophyletic. Annual surveys of the known bat roosts and in situ education programmes for local people are recommended together with the establishment of an integrated, transboundary Myanmar/Thai conservation strategy.

Clostridium stercorarium F-9 pectate lyase Pel9A is a modular enzyme composed of two hypothetical family-9 catalytic modules of the polysaccharide lyases, CM9-1 and CM9-2, in order from the N terminus. In this study, we constructed and characterized CM9-1 and CM9-2 polypeptides as rCM9-1 and rCM9-2 respectively. Both of them, like the full-length Pel9A, required the Ca2+ ion for their enzyme activities and showed high activity toward polygalacturonic acid but lower activity toward pectin. The specific activity of rCM9-2 was three times higher than that of rCM9-1 and rCM9-2 by itself efficiently catalyzed the depolymerization reaction of polygalacturonic acid into monosaccharide as the major product. It was found that rCM9-1 and rCM9-2 adsorbed to polygalacturonic acid and pectin on native affinity PAGE analysis, suggesting that they contain an independent carbohydrate-binding module separable from a catalytic module or consist of a catalytic module with a binding affinity for pectic substrates.

Rhinolophus stheno, R. acuminatus and R. macrotis are recorded from Myanmar for the first time based on authenticated voucher material. New data from recent surveys (2000–2003) are included for R. affinis, R. malayanus, R. lepidus, R. marshalli, R. pusillus, R. pearsoni, and R. thomasi. Additional records of R. rouxi and R. sinicus are listed on the basis of museum specimens. The status of R. subbadius, R. yunanensis, R. luctus, R. trifoliatus, R. coelophyllus, and R. shameli are reviewed. This brings the total number of Rhinolophus species known from Myanmar to eighteen and the number of all bat species to ninety-four. The possible reasons for the rich diversity of Rhinolophids are discussed.

Two new species of diplectanid monogeneans, Diplectanum grouperi and Pseudorhabdosynochus coioidesis from the marine finfish Epinephelus coioides and E. aerolatus(Serranidae), cultured in floating cages in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong, were described and compared with P. lantauensis Beverley-Burton and Suriano, 1981 from the same hosts. There is no other close species sharing the features of Diplectanum grouperi. The possession of a copulatory organ with an open cup-like proximal part and a narrow tubular distal part is a main distinguished feature of D. grouperi. Pseudorhabdosynochus coioides is most closely related to P. epinepheli Yamaguti, 1938, but can be distinguished from it by the shape and the size of the haptor, hamuli, copulatory organ, the lack of a muscular bulbus ejaculatorius, a greater number of rows in the squamodiscs and the location of the testis. Pseudorhabdosynochus lantauensis from the present hosts differs from that described from the original hosts, Epinephelus brunneus and E. fario in the shape of the dorsal bar and vagina.

The parasite communities of fish in three reservoirs (Temengor, Kenering and Cenderuh) along the Perak River, as well as in the lower Perak, are compared. A total of 36 species, 51 species, 61 species and 58 species of metazoan parasites from six types of fishes common in all studied locations, were obtained in Temengor, Kenering, Cenderuh Reservoirs, and downstream Perak River, respectively. The various criteria (prevalence, mean intensity, diversity index, similarity index and evenness) of the parasite community were highest at the Cenderuh Reservoir, followed by the downstream river, Kenering, and Temengor Reservoirs. Monogeneans were the most common parasites in all species of fish examined from all study sites. Fish of the same species showed a high degree of similarity of its parasite fauna regardless of study site, but different hosts had a low similarity of their parasite fauna, even within the same study site.

The sensory drive theory of speciation predicts that populations of the same species inhabiting different environments can differ in sensory traits, and that this sensory difference can ultimately drive speciation. However, even in the best-known examples of sensory ecology driven speciation, it is uncertain whether the variation in sensory traits is the cause or the consequence of a reduction in levels of gene flow. Here we show strong genetic differentiation, no gene flow and large echolocation differences between the allopatric Myanmar and Thai populations of the world's smallest mammal, Craseonycteris thonglongyai, and suggest that geographic isolation most likely preceded sensory divergence. Within the geographically continuous Thai population, we show that geographic distance has a primary role in limiting gene flow rather than echolocation divergence. In line with sensory-driven speciation models, we suggest that in C. thonglongyai, limited gene flow creates the suitable conditions that favour the evolution of sensory divergence via local adaptation., Populations of the same species living in different habitats can differ in sensory traits driving speciation, but it is not known if this variation limits gene flow. Here, a genetic and acoustic study of the bumblebee bat suggests that geographic distance, instead of echolocation divergence, limits gene flow.

The Clostridium stercorarium F-9 pel9A gene encodes a pectate lyase Pel9A consisting of 1,240 amino acids with a molecular weight of 135,171. The mature form of Pel9A is a modular enzyme composed of two family-9 catalytic modules of polysaccharide lyases, CM9-1 and CM9-2, in order from the N terminus. Pel9A showed an overall sequence similarity to the hypothetical pectate lyase PelX of Bacillus halodurans (sequence identity 53%), and CM9-2 showed moderate sequence similarities to some pectate lyases of family 9. Sequence identity between CM9-1 and CM9-2 was 21.3%. The full-length Pel9A lacking the N-terminal signal peptide was expressed, purified, and characterized. The enzyme required Ca(2+) ion for its enzyme activity and showed high activity toward polygalacturonic acid but lower activity toward pectin, indicating that Pel9A is a pectate lyase. Immunological analysis using an antiserum raised against the purified enzyme indicated that Pel9A is constitutively synthesized by C. stercorarium F-9.