Pictures of Sites #3

QUEZON NATIONAL PARK (Quezon Province) > South / East Luzon > Atimonan
2nd Trip
Some "live" pictures

SUNGAYA INEXPECTATA [highlands / parthenogenetic]

Found those in the last week of last August 2008, on a mountain in Rizal Province (55km east of Manila) about 750/800m in altitude. Landscape on those mountains there pretty sad, trees 90% logged, only small bushes and high grass remains. There in the middle of the "sadness" there was a corner of "heaven" preserved mountain side ! Abandonned offices looked at by a single caretaker [which became our collecting partner of a night :)) ]. Found 4 nice species there in about 2 hectares of quite dense forest with small river on lower part. One of them was this Sungaya inexpectata (others will be posted later when identified) only females, not a single male in sight ! Unlike it's counterpart from the lowlands all females have the same "look", no colour variations and the head "crown" is much more developped here in the mountain specie.
Some foodplants choices differences too, both lowland and highland sungaya accept guava (psidium guajava) > however the highland specie do not accept mango (magifera indica) and Schefflera sp but prefer ferns especially those with medium and larger leaves.

Pictures of Sites #2

QUEZON NATIONAL PARK (Quezon Province) > South / East Luzon > Atimonan