Salagubang

Spectacular scenery but kind of disappointing for beetles

I was trekking in Batad, Banaue, Ifugao to visit the spectacular Batad Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage listed site, and I was hoping to collect a few beetles especially Pachyrrhynchini weevils.

Even if I didn’t have a net or collecting gear, it was kind of dismal with so few Coleoptera sighted along the way from Batad Junction to Batad town and then to Tappia Falls.

I was only able to collect a few species like two Metapocyrtus sp. (Curculionidae), several specimens of Engertia (Scarabaeidae), a few species of Melolonthinae (Scarabaeidae), collected at light during the night, and one, surprisingly beautiful Glenea species. There were no Pachyrhynchus collected but when I went down, I saw one species at one high branch which was just too far to reach.

I’m not really sure why there were so few. Perhaps this was due to the inclement weather during the time I was there considering that it was during the month of May. This area, by the way, is forested and is near Mt. Amuyao, the highest mountain in the place.

Salagubang.net is part of the "An Inordinate Fondness" blog carnival hosted at "Fall to Climb"

An Inordinate Fondness #3: Discovery Zone, the interesting beetle blog carnival is on at Fall to Climb, and includes my post, Pachyrhynchus congestus form and it’s Eupyrgops sp. mimic.

The said carnival is a monthly event that is a celebration of beetles—of their indescribable beauty, amazing forms, and astonishing diversity and this edition includes 13 blog entries from different parts of the world.

Check it out at Fall to Climb by clicking on the image at the left.

A new downloadable ebook focusing on the genus Pachyrhynchus and its mimics

This half letter, 54 page ebook is sure to delight collectors and entomologists. It consists of an introduction and of course, full page images of 16 Pachyrrhynchus beetles and a corresponding number of their mimics from different genera: Metapocyrtus, Eupyrgops, Polycatus, all from family Curculionidae and the very interesting Doliops and Paradoliops genera, family Cerambycidae. Thumbnail images are also included.

You can check out a sampler by clicking the link below.

Get the full version of the ebook for just $6. Proceeds will go to support future collecting trips around the country as well as take care of website hosting expenses. Click the link below. I’m still fine tuning an e-commerce plugin. Once it’s setup, ordering will be smooth. For the meantime, it will be manual ordering.

Buy the full ebook

Email me your receipt at estancabigas [at] gmail [dot] com. Once I have confirmed your payment, I will send you the ebook.

Pachyrhynchus congestus form, model

Eupyrgops sp., mimic from another tribe

Not to be missed, however, is a species of Eupyrgops that has almost the same coloration and patterns, but drabber than it’s model.

New paper from Eduard Vives

Eduard Vives was published by Magellanes last November 2009 his latest installment on Philippine longhorn beetles: New or interesting Cerambycidae from the Philippines (Part III) (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).

This one includes 34 different species of cerambycids with over 12 new descriptions, new records, a designation of a new genus Mimacronia with new combinanations including the genera Acronia and Aprophata. This paper has around seven specimens that I’ve contributed which are mostly new species. And lastly, two new species of the spectacular genus Doliops are here.

Check this out.