Foraging Behaviour of Three Sympatric Babblers (Family: Timaliidae)

We investigated the foraging ecology of three species of babblers in Kampung Gumbang, Kampung Padang Pan and Dered Krian National Park, Bau. Vegetation in Kampung Gumbang include tall trees, shrubs and patches of kerangas. Dered Kerian National Park consists of mixed dipterocarp forest and limestone forest, which is surrounded by orchards and few villages. In Kampung Padang Pan, the vegetation is a mixed fruit orchard and secondary forest. Foraging data were obtained to compare foraging behaviour in three species. From 133 observations, suspended dead leaves was the most frequently used substrate by the three species. Stachyris maculate showed the most general foraging behavior, and it adopted probing strategy. Cyanoderma erythropterum and Mixnornis gularis obtained food items by gleaning. These three babblers utilize different foraging strategies and substrates, irrespective of their resemblances in other characteristics. C. erythropterum and S. maculate forage mainly among dead and curled, twisted leaves in understory vegetation at significantly different heights. M. gularis forages on dead and living leaves and this species can be found abundantly in disturbed forest and plantation or farm habitats. All the three areas were observed never lacked falling leaves and structural complexity required as foraging substrates by those three babbler species. All three babblers occupy different foraging niches, and therefore interspecific competitions among themselves are minimized.

Diplodiscus latifii (Malvaceae-Brownlowioideae), a new species from Sabah, Malaysia

A new species of Diplodiscus is described and illustrated from one collection made in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest in Sabah, Malaysia. Conspicuous by its twig colour, leaf shape and indumentum, it is probably allied to D. longifolius, but differs in sufficient characters (shape, indumentum, apex and venation of blade, flower bud shape and size, petal diameter, ovary shape and fruit shape and size) to be a species in its own right. A key to the species of Diplodiscus in Malaysia also is provided.

Amphibian species diversity in the proposed extension of the Bukit Teraja Protection Forest, Brunei Darussalam

Amphibian species diversity was investigated within the lowland mixed-dipterocarp forest of the proposed extension of the Bukit Teraja Protection Forest (BTPF), Brunei Darussalam in north-west Borneo. A combination of both visual encounter and acoustic sampling techniques were conducted opportunistically as well as in six selected stream transects, each containing five 5x10m plots. A total of 39 species of frogs from seven families (Bufonidae, Ceratobatrachidae, Dicroglossidae, Megophryidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae, and Rhacophoridae) were identified from the BTPF. Most notably, four new records for Brunei were discovered: Hylarana nicobariensis, Kaloula baleata, Limnonectes malesianus, and Microhyla perparva. This brings the total number of amphibian species in Brunei Darussalam to 84. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that out of 13 measured environmental variables maximum stream depth and % soil/sand of ground cover were significantly correlated with anuran assemblage composition. Species overlap between the proposed extension of the Bukit Teraja Protection Forest and the Ulu Temburong National Park (UTNP) determined by the coefficient of biogeographic resemblance (CBR) showed low species complementarity between these two regions. This emphasizes the need to upgrade the proposed extension of the BTPF to a protection forest to ensure the conservation of regional amphibian biodiversity.

Zorotypus asymmetricus sp. nov. from Brunei Darussalam, Borneo (Insecta: Zoraptera)

A new species of Zoraptera from Borneo is described and figured. Zorotypus asymmetricus sp. nov. was discovered in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest in Ulu Temburong, Brunei Darussalam. The species represents the third known species occurring on Borneo and it can be easily distinguished from others by the asymmetrical cerci: the right cercus is strongly enlarged and curved.