Thursday, January 29, 2009

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 !!!




























Saturday, January 10, 2009

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.




















Friday, January 9, 2009

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....