Pictures of Sites # 5

Mount-Tapulao (or High-Peak) > Zambales Province ---> North-West Luzon
First picture below shows the Zambales Province plains and the South-China sea at the background. Picture 2 is the trail going up to Mount-Tapulao. Pictures 3 and 4 is a mountain called "Small Tapulao" situated on the right of High-Peak. Pictures 5 and 6 is Mount-Tapulao.
-----> Well, a "big adventure" going to Mount-Tapulao last tuesday january 27th, wide trail stony is usued by local people from the resettlement center on the jump-off site of the trail to gather bamboos to make thousands of "barbecue sticks" used all over the country, good wood lumber as well (unfortunately). Also used by a mining company operating on the mountain and finally by mountaineers, nature lovers (like us). Difficult climb with portions of the trail at 40-45 degrees steep, open fields for at least 6km no shade and a very hot sun !!!! the first 6-7km of the trail totally logged and partially burned. Took us 7km+ of climbing to reach the first forest portion at arround 800m altitude, Mount-Tapulao itself is 2037m high and the total trail distance is 17km !!!! We reached the "secondary" style forest just before night and continued uphill then looking for phasmids. Different kind of forest from the ones we have seen so far, very spiny - lots of Pandanus (giant ones), many species of thorny shrubs and palms - some of them partially covered with mosses and climbing ferns. Pretty dry at this time of year, however there was a strong dew quickly after sunset as temperature felt rapiditely from the upper thirties to the lower twenties. Forest farther on the foot of Mount-Tapulao probably still more rich and diverse......but this is a "discovery" for the next time on the high-Peak !!!

MITHRENES WHITEHEADI

This species is the rarest one I have posted so far !!! Eggs were still unknown, but will be described soon ! Found that medium/large species along with the Mithrenes caluweae, they live in the same places and feed on the same foodplants. They have an evident "attraction" for small river banks and love to hang over the water on a dried twig, most of the time male is always present - or matting or just standby ! On close-up picture of the female, nice to notice the tiny black scattered spots on the body and the black "horns" on top of the head.

MITHRENES CALUWEAE

Nice and new species (under description) I found a few weeks ago in the South-East of Luzon (Quezon province) as well as on Mount-Cristobal (South-Luzon / Laguna Province). A few nice females variations. I feed them here in Manila on African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata/Bignonaceae), In Europe they should feed on Ivy, etc....

RELEASING # 1

First such an experience for me and the guys on the trips with me is that big releasing we made 2 days ago on late afternoon at Ilanin Forest (west-Luzon) !! Released where 20 adults Mnesilochus capreolus (the same ones I got at the same place as L1-L2 babies 6 months ago......) and especially 400+ L1-L2 and L3 Sungaya inexpectata babies. Additional to those was released as well, almost a thousand eggs of sungaya inexpectata and several hundreds eggs of Phyllium sp. !! Of course the releasing sites were carefully chosen, according foodplants availability and history of such species present already at the sites. Very nice feeling indeed watching all those hundreds phasmids walking slowly away underneath leaves, giving all of us a lasting feeling of something achieved and hopefully contributing, even so slightly, to keep those species (for) ever present in those areas. Definitively an experience to renew some day !!! :))

Pictures of Sites # 4

ILANIN FOREST (Bataan Province) > North-West Luzon
Nice dense forest, definitively much more dry than the east coast forest (Quezon National Park for example). Much fewer rainfall here, perfect biotope for Sungaya inexpectata, Mnesilochus capreolus, Clitumnus nematodes (I found a nice number of those yesterday 30.12.08, all on a bamboo species with small leaves).
Two first pictures are from the lowest part of the forest close to the sea, all others are from an area called "Hill 394", the highest mount of the forest (394 meters) ! Called that way by the American army troups that were station here for 50 years (the biggest military base in the Pacific), hill 394 was a helipad for military exercises, etc....! Today it's a beautifull flat spot from where you can enjoy a wonderfull view of the nearby bay , the Zambales and the Bataan mountains arround.

MNESILOCHUS CAPREOLUS [?]

Nice, medium size species I found on the west coast of Luzon several months ago. They belong to the Lonchodiinae family. Nice attitudes, often still in very pretty/extraordinary positions. Here in Quezon City I feed them with leaves of an African Tulip tree (imported) / Spathodea campanullata (Bignonaceae) with good results.

While the above male are all looking pretty much the same, the females they, come in several forms - have 4 pictured here > the plain brown, the plain (nearly) black, the mosaic and the striped. Beautiful .....!

EUCARCHARUS FERULOIDES SP. New Variation

Have breed Eucarcharus feruloides before, this ones somewhat different with its white median line and white scattered dots !! Same foodplant however > guava. Also same attitude toward nightfall and/or spraying water ---> female then changes body color to purple/violet.......nice change ! how and why it happens I don't know.......whoever knows please post on clicking "comments" on the bottom of this post, thanks !
Specie originating from South-Cotabato Province / South-Mindanao.
Thanks to Ben (Benjamin Mabanta / Quezon-City) for handing me over 2 beautiful couples :))

STENOBRIMUS BOLIVARI

What a beautiful and elegant species isn't it ?
Found that pretty rare species in South-East Luzon on a rainy night, enjoying the wet ferns, which they feed on exclusively. They come in 3 different "forms", the black/brown one (I also found on Mt-Cristobal / Laguna Province) is the adult , the black one with green spines is the subadult and finaly the most nice one mostly green with black stipes are the nymphs L1 to L4.
Long legs / weightless they move so elegantly in the wind on the ferns > love that species !