Friday, February 15, 2019

New species: Pteroptix balingiana

It is with greate pleasure for me to announce on behalf of  our CFZ survey team that one specimen collected during the Balingian survey has been given a name, and it's Pteroptyx balingiana in honor of the place it was collected from. It took a while coming from the date of it's collection to today, however the wait is well worthed.

Researcher Wan Faridah and colleagues have helped identify the holotype and given it name fitting of it's origin, we might even call it's birthplace.





I think this clearly shows the value of citizen science; groundwork synthesized, planned and executed by the lay public coupled with the right funding, the correct mix of enthusiasm, commitment and passion does add tremendous value to nature conservation work. 

As a baseline for CFZ population in Northern Sarawak, I think our volunteer survey team lead by Musa Musbah has added a significant body of data and knowledge to the population and distribution of fireflies in Northern Sarawak. It's probably one of the first in Sarawak.

Through the surveys and community awareness events that MNS Miri Branch has organised in relation to this work as part of it's deliverables, more Sarawakians are aware of fireflies, it's habitats and it's role as indicator species of our natural environment. This could provide significant impetus from which further in depth studies can be carried out and steps to formulate conservation initiative can take place.

I am not at all doubtful of the impact this work has on the future of firefly studies and nature conservation in Sarawak.

Please allow me to again thank all of our enthusiastic, committed and passionate volunteers who has made this CFZ Project funded by the MNS Merdeka Fund, and supported by Sarawak Forestry Corporation a success. Many special thanks to Musa Musbah as project lead for CFZ in Miri, without his interest, commitment and drive this project would not have gone as far as it did.

Thank you all!


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