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This research was primarily conducted in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Lahad Datu, Sabah, with the aim to determine the response of tourists to the concept of including invertebrate information in current and planned ecotourism activities in order to increase conservation efforts involving invertebrates. A questionnaire survey was distributed during the preliminary entotourism activity in order to test the conceptual framework set posited in this research. The development of the conceptual framework in this study detailed the model of network of relationship among the variables that needed to be scrutinized. Data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) software programme which uses the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). SEM analysis revealed a significant variance of Ecotourism that was well explained by all four exogenous variables (Activity, Information, Interest and Willingness). The findings of this study aspire to contribute to the literature of invertebrate species conservation awareness in Sabah, since very limited research is conducted specifically on the entotourism field.

Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) is one of the most famous, most polyphagous and most widely distributed tachinid flies (Diptera, Tachinidae) in the world. This species is well known as a biocontrol agent of some injurious pests of cultural and wild plants and has been introduced from Europe to the United States to control mainly the gypsy moth. Recently we found three new species very closely resembling C. concinnata from Southeast and East Asia: C. lobata sp. nov. (Japan and Thailand), C. malayana sp. nov. (Malaysia) and C. pauciseta sp. nov. (Japan and Taiwan). Additionally, C. samoaensis Malloch is treated as a junior synonym of C. concinnata based on the examination of the type specimen. The genetic differences in the mitochondrial COI gene data are examined to assess the accuracy of species delimitation of Compsilura. The male postabdominal characters of these species are illustrated. The piercing female postabdomen of C. concinnata is illustrated and compared to those of other members belonging to the Blondelia group including Blondelia Robineau-Desvoidy, Celatoria Coquillett, Eucelatoria Townsend and Vibrissina Rondani.

This study was conducted to investigate the diversity and possible factors that structure the distribution and abundance of fireflies along Sungai Teratak. Six sampling occasions were conducted from March to April 2014 where ten display trees were chosen as sampling stations. Species abundance and composition of fireflies and other insects were assessed by visual assessment and sampling with aerial net. Four Pteroptyx species were discovered with difference in relative abundance, namely Pteroptyx bearni (93.1%), Pteroptyx valida (2.2%), Pteroptyx malaccae (3.9%), and Pteroptyx tener (0.8%). The results of Shannon-Weiner index, H’ was 0.316, and Simpson’s index of diversity with the value of 0.131 indicated that the firefly at Sungai Teratak was low in diversity. Abundance of firefly varied significantly between the six sampling occasions (Kruskal-Wallis = 15.382, d.f. = 5, p 0.05). The abundance of fireflies was found to be positively correlated to the abundance of other insects (Pearson’s correlation r = 0.740, p 0.05 and Mann-Whitney U = 25.50, z = -1.945, p >0.05). Although the abundance of male (n= 232) firefly outnumbered the female (n= 149), statistical analysis proved no significant difference between both group (Mann-Whitney U = 8.50, z = -1.529, p >0.05). The mangrove trees being colonized by fireflies at Sungai Teratak was mainly from the species Avicennia alba.

Sukau Rainforest Lodge (SRL) and Sukau Ecotourism Research Centre (SERC) have been recognised as two ecotourism sites in Sabah. However, there were no butterfly tourism products carried out at both sites. As a result, a 5-day survey of butterfly diversity was conducted using fruit-baited traps. Butterfly diversity, richness, and abundance were evaluated using Shannon-Weiner Diversity for both sites. SWOT analysis was also carried out at both sites throughout a 3-week observation. The results showed there were 20 species from 6 subfamilies of Nymphalidae butterflies. A total of 96 individuals of each species were also tabulated, with SRL revealing a higher diversity index compared to SERC due to its large surrounding area. The butterfly specimens were collected for educational purposes as nature tourism products. Lack of research, no butterfly signage, forest fragmentation, and mass tourism activities were identified as weaknesses and threats with their strengths and opportunities as proper guidelines based on SWOT analysis. Hence, it shows that both sites are valuable for nature tourism based on their unique butterfly fauna as butterfly tourism products. This study could also provide baseline data on butterfly diversity and its potential as butterfly tourism products at both sites. Butterfly diversity data and SWOT analysis are compulsory for the creation of butterfly tourism products. Such valuable fauna can be integrated as nature tourism products in conjunction with appropriate decision-making strategies.

The Odonata fauna of Kadamaian was surveyed from 15th to19th October, 2019 during the Borneo Geographic Expedition 2019 Kadamaian. The altitude of the survey area ranged from 400 m to 850 m above sea level, representing the lower part of Kinabalu Park. A total of 23 species in nine families were recorded – 10 species in Libellulidae, three species in Platycnemididae, two species each in Platystictidae, Calopterygidae and Coenagrionidae, and one species each in Chlorocyphidae, Devadattidae, Euphaeidae and Synthemistidae. Of these, only one species is a new record for Kinabalu Park – Pericnemis dowi. The published Odonata records were compiled to produce a species list known from Kinabalu Park. The total number of species known to Kinabalu Park is now 71. Many more parts in Kinabalu Park need to be explored for a more comprehensive Odonata fauna of the park.

A firefly survey was conducted in Podos, Melangkap Noriou and Pinolobu in Kadamaian, Kota Belud during the Borneo Geographic Expedition Kadamaian 2019. A total of 48 fireflies were collected representing at least seven species consisting mainly of Luciola spp. and a single individual of Pyrocoelia sp. larva. Identification reveals that two samples are potentially new records to Borneo; cf. Aquilonia sp. and Medeopteryx sp., and also Luciola niah as a new record for Sabah. Furthermore, four samples have unique morphological characters including the potential Aquilonia and Medeopteryx samples and two Luciola samples. Fireflies were caught in various locations such as near rubber plantations, trails and rivers. Findings from this report expands the distributional knowledge about Lampyridae in Borneo.

The genus Termitomyces (Lyophyllaceae, Basidiomycota) is often associated with fungus-feeding termites (Macrotermitinae) due to their strong symbiotic relationships. The genus is widely found exclusively in certain regions of Africa and Asia. They are recognized as edible mushroom within Southeast Asia as well. But it is often misidentified based on morphology by the local communities especially in Malaysia for Chlorophyllum molybdites which is a highly poisonous mushroom. Thus, it is necessary to study the genus for Malaysia with the synergy of using both morphological and molecular identification. In this study, we aim to describe another new species as an addition to the genus Termitomyces found within Sabah, Malaysia. We generated two new sequences (nrLSU and mtSSU) for the new species and a total of 28 nrLSU and mtSSU sequences were retrieved from GenBank for the phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferences. We identified that the new collection from Sabah province is a new species and named as Termitomyces gilvus based on the termites found in the mound. A phylogeny tree made from the concatenated genes of LSU and mtSSU suggests that T. gilvus is closely related to T. bulborhizus from China. According to our results, the combination of molecular and morphology proved to be a robust approach to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of Termitomyces species in Malaysia. Additional surveys are needed to verify the species diversity and clarify their geographic distribution.

Insects are commonly featured in recreation and tourism around the world, despite the generally negative public perception surrounding them. Many people enjoy watching butterflies in insectarium gardens, observing and collecting dragonflies, and admiring the light displays of fireflies. In many cases, activities like these are becoming increasingly popular and these positive interactions with insects encourage public appreciation of insects, but vary acuities in their forms and approaches. Thus, understanding the pattern of insect appearances in recreation and tourism activities in a variety of discernments can provide important insights into effective ways of promoting insect conservation through ecotourism, which is often overlooked in biodiversity conservation strategies. However, these types of interdisciplinary studies are relatively new and remain limited in both entomology and tourism sciences. A field survey was carried out at Kangkawat Research Station, Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, where a 1 kilometre entomological ecotourism trail was designed and developed to incorporate insects in enhancing ecotourism at the reserve. Insects that can be found along the 1 kilometre trail were recorded and the collection was conducted using baited traps and sweep netting. Based on the insects survey, the Shannon Diversity Index (H’) of Kangkawat is 4.60 while Simpson Index is 176.72 with Fisher Alpha Index at 313.3 that concludes Kangkawat Research Station insect richness to be the second highest after the Crocker Range. In adressing the knowledge gaps between insect conservation and ecotourism, a survey on attitudes towards insects was designed and then completed by 384 tourists around Kota Kinabalu City. The standardized questionnaire known as the Personal Meaning of Insects Map (PMIM) was administered to tourists and their responses were elicited prior to and after observing insect photos. The results shows that “spider” had the 100% connectivity in response to the most detested insect based on their previous encounters with insects. This result shows that there is an existing entomology knowledge gap among the respondents, indicating the need for further interventions in terms of nature interpretation. Therefore a quality guided nature interpretation as an educational tool should take into account how the general public understands (or misunderstands) insects further and where interpretive information could be better applied if we are to develop management and educational tools that address human-insect encounters.

A survey on solitary fireflies was carried out at Kangkawat Research Station in October 2018. A total of 33 fireflies were collected; three adult males, 13 adult females and 17 larvae. Three fireflies species were identified from male specimens, namely Pygoluciola wittmeri, Luciola sp. and most larvae consists of Pyrocoelia sp. This is a new record, mapping the existence of the species in Imbak, hence expanding the geographical knowledge of Pygoluciola, Luciola and Pyrocoelia. There are five morphospecies of unidentified females and three morphospecies of larvae. Three videos of larvae showed an emission of a long glow while the adult female in captivity exhibited single-peaked pulsing light. Male flashes were observed to emit long glows with intermittent rest. Most adult fireflies were caught flying between trees while larvae were found among twigs, leaf litter and leaves.

Kampung Tudan is located at the rural area and protected under buffer zone of Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve Area by UNESCO, where human and society live in harmony. Mulberry plantations have been introduced as an alternative economic activity to enhance their livelihood. Tudan’s Organic Mulberry Tea was made locally in Kampung Tudan, is an innovative product made up from the mulberry leaves into tea product. Fresh leaves from mulberry plant was harvested, dried using community solar powered dryer for the production of the tea and the formulation is under Trade Secret by the Centre for Research and innovation which belongs to Universiti Malaysia Sabah. A few series of laboratory test have been conducted on Tudan’s Organic Mulberry Tea such as physicochemical analysis and consumer sensory evaluation. Results shows that, mulberry tea powder considerable high in protein with stable shelf life. There were about 100 panels majority from student has been evaluated Tudan’s Organic Mulberry Tea based on four sensory test which are aroma, color, taste, mouthfeel and their overall acceptance. Overall acceptance scores for Tudan’s Organic Mulberry Tea is more than 30%. The newly developed tea product, has been undertaken by Kampung Tudan villager’s cooperative, Koperasi Kampung Tudan Berhad and has commercialized in the market since January 2017. The product is priced at RM 19.90 per box and has generated more than RM 95, 081 revenues since January 2017.

Fireflies from the genus Pteroptyx have drawn a lot of attention from humans due to their congregating behaviour and provided local communities with lucrative business opportunity. However, it is believed that the adjacent communities pose a threat of encroachment to the Klias and Weston – the hotspots for fireflies’ population mangrove ecosystem. Relationship Management has strategies and tactics to engage in sentiments, emotions, and then provide the best remedies. It has strategic power to connect hosts and guests as it emphasizes on “give back and take away tourism” through incorporating guest-hosts both in the process of conservation and utilization of various resources and skills available to them. Our study has tried to find out the economic importance (use value) of the fireflies and culture for the benefits of fireflies, nature, environment, and local communities of the area where they exist in the real habitat situation. The study attempts to provide solution of the critical problems and situations that have been created by human beings for a long time for the sake of feeding our ego and gaining dominancy (temporary value) in their areas because of unethical education and lack of awareness about socio-economic benefits through current ecotourism developments. The highlighted significance of Relationship Management in fireflies’ conservation and ecotourism development may help in tackling the conflicts between human and fireflies, human and human, as well as in fireflies watching activities. About 423 respondents were involved and the data was then processed with content analysis in which 84.4% of them are willing to protect the fireflies, 66.2% volunteered in firefly conservation program, while 40.7% of them are aware that both village development and firefly conservation are important and only 32.4% agree to pay for firefly conservation which is between USD0.23-USD6.92. Meanwhile, spider web analysis shows that locals are lacking knowledge of firefly’s ecology. Lastly, a blueprint for firefly conservation should be developed to help focus preservation in the places with the highest need to slow the rate of firefly habitat loss due to development.

Mosquitoes were sampled in an undisturbed area within the trail in the forest near the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) and in a disturbed area within the Logged Forest Experimental (LFE) area near the SAFE Project camp site. A total of 48 days of sampling was done in both areas in a bi-monthly sampling starting June 2016 to April 2017. The aims of this study were to investigate the species diversity and peak biting hours of mosquitoes in both sites. A total of 807 individuals from 17 species were caught using manual collection method of Human Landing Catch (HLC). 15 species were collected in MBCA while only 9 species were collected in LFE. Based on Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM), there was a significant difference of mosquito abundance between LFE and MBCA (p

We investigated the effects of rainfall on the distribution and abundance of the satyrine butterfly Ragadia makuta in selectively logged and unlogged forest on Borneo. In 1997-98, there was a severe El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drought, and annual surveys over a 4-y period showed that abundance of R. makuta was greatly reduced during the drought, but that populations quickly recovered after it. Monthly surveys over a 12-mo period of typical rainfall showed that high rainfall in the month preceding surveys significantly reduced butterfly abundance. Butterfly abundance and distribution did not differ between selectively logged and unlogged areas in either monthly or annual surveys and there was no difference between selectively logged and unlogged areas in the pattern of post-drought recovery. These results indicate that the abundance of R. makuta was significantly reduced both after high rainfall and during severe drought, but that these impacts were short-lived and were not affected by habitat disturbance. ENSO droughts on Borneo naturally often lead to widespread forest fires and thus impacts of ENSO events for butterflies are more likely to be due to indirect effects of habitat loss, rather than direct effects of drought on butterfly population dynamics.

Overlooking the importance of insect disease can have disastrous effects on insect conservation. This study reported the microfungi that infect Pteroptyx bearni eggs and larvae during ex-situ rearing project. Two different species of microfungi that infected the firefly’s immature life stages were isolated and identified. Penicillium citrinum infected the firefly’s eggs while Trichoderma harzianum infected the firefly during the larval stage. Both microfungi species caused absolute mortality once infection was observed; out of 244 individual eggs collected, 75 eggs (32.5%) were infected by Penicillium citrinum. All 13 larvae that hatched from the uninfected eggs were infected by Trichoderma harzianum. This study was the first to document the infection of Pteroptyx bearni’s eggs and larvae by Penicillium citrinum and Trichoderma harzianum.