SANDAKAN: Two new species of bush crickets (katydids) have been described among other discoveries in an integrated study conducted in Sabah over the last six years.
The Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, said, the new species are Tapiena dimidia, from Maliau Basin and Tapiena munae, from Long Pasia in Sabah.
They were from the collaborative research project involving the Sabah Forestry Department, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore) (LKCNHM) and Natural History Museum of Paris, France (MNHN).
Other new discoveries, such as new locality records and descriptions of calling songs of bush crickets from the family Phaneropterinae were documented in the newly published paper in Zootaxa 5604 (4): 505-528 on 17 March 2025.
The lead author, Dr Tan Ming Kai (LKCNHM), together with Dr Tony Robillard (MNHN), have been working on this group of insects with Dr Arthur Chung (SFD) and the FRC Entomology Team; Razy J., Dg. Fazrinah, John L.Y., Herwin M. and Azizan A, for six years since 2019, with support from the Sabah Biodiversity Council and the Centre.
The recent collaborative project received fundings from the National Geographic Society.
Specimens will be deposited at the insect collection of the Forest Research Centre in Sepilok, under the Sabah Forestry Department.
Kugan emphasized the importance of research collaboration in biodiversity conservation, more so in the diverse groups of tropical insects.
It is through networking with the scientific experts that we are able to explore more of the interesting information from the rainforests, he said.
Such information will contribute towards a better understanding of the inhabitants and their ecology in Sabah’s forests.
The discovery of new species will enhance conservation efforts of the department in the selected forest reserves.