15-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - BORNEAN TREEPIE (Dendrocitta cinerascens)

The Bornean treepie (Dendrocitta cinerascens) is a passerine bird belonging to the treepies genus, Dendrocitta, of in the crow family, Corvidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the Sumatran treepie (D. occipitalis).

15-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - MATANG CREEK FROG (Limnonectes conspicillatus)

Limnonectes conspicillatus was originally described in 1872, but later lumped in with the rest of the Limnonectes “kuhlii” species complex. In 2017 it was resurrected as a distinct species, distinguishable from similar-looking Limnonectes species by details of its toe webbing, size, teeth, and habitat preferences. 

Limnonectes conspicillatus  was originally described  by Günther, 1872 from Matang but resurrected only recently by Dehling and Dehling (2017).

It is clearly a member of the Limnonectes kuhlii-group (odontoids in the lower jaw, stout body, strong hindlimbs, eye position, wrinkled skin). Males reach up to 75 mm in snout-vent-length. Males grow larger and develop wider heads than females. Toes are fully webbed. It inhabits small to medium size rocky streams of the Matang range. It is larger and ecologically distinct from the sympatric L. hikidai and is distinguished by webbing and ecology from L. kong.

The tadpoles are similar to other kuhlii-group tadpoles: the snout is quite blunt in lateral view, the tail is approx two thirds of the total length. 

15-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - ORCHID (Coelogyne hirtella)

Coelogyne hirtella is an orchid endemic to Borneo.

Coelogyne is a genus of over 200 sympodial epiphytes from the family Orchidaceae, distributed across India, China, Indonesia and the Fiji islands, with the main centers in Borneo, Sumatra and the Himalayas. They can be found from tropical lowland forests to montane rainforests. 

15-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - ORCHID (Bulbophyllum lobbii)

Bulbophyllum lobbii (Lobb's bulbophyllum) is a species of orchid, also known as Thailand bulbophyllum or Sumatran bulbophyllum. It was named for the plant hunter Thomas Lobb, who introduced it to England from Java in 1846. 

17-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - ATLAS MOTH (CATERPILLAR) (Attacus atlas)

Attacus atlas, the Atlas moth, is a large saturniid moth endemic to the forests of Asia. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

The Atlas moth is one of the largest lepidopterans, with a wingspan measuring up to 24 cm (9.4 in) and a wing surface area of about 160 cm2 (≈25 in2). It is only surpassed in wingspan by the white witch (Thysania agrippina) and Attacus caesar, and in wing surface area by the Hercules moth (Coscinocera hercules). As in most silk moths, females are noticeably larger and heavier than males, while males have broader antennae. 

17-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - ORCHID ( Coelogyne moultonii)

This orchid species is endemic to the Sabah region of Malaysian Borneo, and occurs at elevations of 1100 to 1700 metres. An example occurrence is on the south slopes of Mount Kinabalu.

15-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - ROBBER FLY (Subfamily Asilinae)

Asilinae is a large subfamily of flies in the family Asilidae, the robber flies and assassin flies. It includes over 180 genera. 

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - BAMBOO ORCHID (Arundina graminifolia)

Arundina graminifolia is a species of orchid and the sole accepted species of the genus Arundina. This tropical Asiatic genus extends from Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, the Ryukyu Islands, Malaysia, Singapore, China to Indonesia, the Philippines and New Guinea. It has become naturalized in Réunion, Fiji, French Polynesia, Micronesia, the West Indies, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, and Hawaii. It is also called bamboo orchid.

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - BURMESE ENGRAILED MOTH (Ectropis bhurmitra)

Ectropis bhurmitra, the tea twig caterpillar, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1860. A widespread Asian species, it is found around Indo-Australian tropics from India, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, New Guinea to Australian Queensland and the Solomon Islands. 

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - BALSAM (mpatiens walleriana)

Impatiens walleriana (syn. Impatiens sultanii), also known as busy Lizzie (British Isles), balsam, sultana, or simply impatiens, is a species of the genus Impatiens, native to eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique. The Latin specific epithet walleriana honours a British missionary, Horace Waller (1833–1896). 

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - JEWEL DAMSELFLY (Rhinoneura villosipes)

Rhinoneura villosipes is a species of jewel damselfly in the family Chlorocyphidae.

The IUCN conservation status of Rhinoneura villosipes is "VU", vulnerable. The species faces a high risk of endangerment in the medium term.

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - GEOMETER MOTH (Genus Orthocabera)

Orthocabera is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae. 

It is found in Sri Lanka, Japan, China, India and Taiwan.

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - JEWEL DAMSELFLY (Rhinoneura villosipes)

Rhinoneura villosipes is a species of jewel damselfly in the family Chlorocyphidae.

The IUCN conservation status of Rhinoneura villosipes is "VU", vulnerable. The species faces a high risk of endangerment in the medium term.

 

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - PLAIN HEDGE BLUE BUTTERFLY (Celastrina lavendularis)

Celastrina lavendularis, the plain hedge blue, is a small butterfly found in Sri Lanka, India, and Indomalayan realm that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - COMMANDER BUTTERFLY (Moduza procris)

Moduza procris, the commander, sometimes included in the genus Limenitis, is a medium-sized, strikingly coloured brush-footed butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is notable for the mode of concealment employed by its caterpillar and the cryptic camouflage of its pupa.

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - COMMON SUN SKINK (Eutropis multifasciata)

 Eutropis multifasciata, commonly known as the East Indian brown mabuya, many-lined sun skink, many-striped skink, common sun skink or (ambiguously) as golden skink, is a species of skink.

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - COMMON MAPWING BUTTERFLY (Cyrestis maenalis)

Cyrestis maenalis, the common mapwing, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South-East Asia.

 

24-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU, BORNEO - ASHY DRONGO (Dicrurus leucophaeus) COURTESY OF MRS VALERIE FISHER

The ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae. It is found widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia with several populations that vary in the shade of grey, migration patterns and in the size or presence of white patches around the eye.

The ashy drongo has short legs and sits very upright while perched prominently, often high on a tree. It is insectivorous and forages by making aerial sallies but sometimes gleans from tree trunks. They are found singly, in pairs or small groups. During migration they fly in small flocks.

 

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - BORNEO BLACK BANDED SQUIRREL (Callosciurus orestes)

The Borneo black-banded squirrel (Callosciurus orestes) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to northern Borneo.

This species is found in northern Borneo at middle elevations (Payne et al. 1985). It was known from G. Dulit (above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft)) and reported from similar altitude on Usun Apau, the Kelabit Highlands and the upper S. Terusan, all montane localities in northern Sarawak. It was also known from Mount Kinabalu (1,000–1,700 metres (3,300–5,600 ft)) and Mount Trusmadi (about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft)) in Sabah. It appears to be restricted to lower montane forest and to upper dipterocarp forest.

The upper part is finely speckled brown. A pale buffy spot behind each ears. The underside is grey, sometimes with a reddish tinge. It also has a black and buffy-white side stripe. Callosciurus orestes is diurnal. They are active in small to medium-sized trees. Recently, fruit and black ants were found out in the two species of Mount Kinabalu.

 

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - TEMMINCK'S SUNBIRD (Aethopyga temminckii)

 Temminck's sunbird (Aethopyga temminckii) is a species of sunbird. It is found in up to 1800 m altitude in Borneo, Sumatra, West Malaysia, and south west Thailand in tropical moist montane forests.

This bird's common name and Latin binomial commemorate the Dutch aristocrat and zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.

The Temminck's sunbird is 10 cm (female) -12.5 cm (male) long. The longer-tailed male is mostly scarlet, except for a greyish belly, yellow and purple bands between the back and tail, and four purple bands on the head emanating from the beak. The female is drab olive, except for rufous fringes to the wing and tail feathers.