Insects and other invertebrates

As is often the case, butterflies (Lepidoptera) are the best recorded order of insects.

A 'butterfly lick', shown here, is a common sight in the Park.

 

There are various species here - including at least 2 genera of yellow butterflies: Eurema & Ixias (Pieridae)

 

Cyrestis nivea

Vindula dejone

 
    Click here - for a list of
  butterflies found in the Park
   - prepared by staff and academic visitors.

Lexias dirtea

 

Recommended References

Corbet & Pendlebury Butterflies of the Malay peninsula

Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, Common butterflies of Vietnam

Viet Nam insect pictures - click here or Richard Seaman's site

 
 
Other Insect Orders - all pictures taken in the Park  
Odonata  
 
     
Orthoptera    
 
Dermaptera    
   
Dictyoptera  
 
   Blattaria
 
 
  
 
There are dozens of termite species in the Park, carrying out the vital function of recycling decaying plant material. Among the most commonly encountered are the large Macrotermes carbonarius.  
     
Phasmida  
  
 
Stick insects are abundant in the Park - some may be lucky enough also to see a leaf insect (Phyllium: right)  
     
Hemiptera  
 
 
 
Heteroptera: Pyrrhocorid (left); shield bug (Pentatomidae: right)  
 
   
Coleoptera  


The eminent biologist JBS Haldane once notoriously said of the Coleoptera that "one thing we know about the divine creator is an inordinate fondness for beetles". It is by far the largest insect order accounting for 40% of insects and 25% of all animals. In more than 160 families, there are more than 300,000 known species, but there are almost certainly hundreds of thousands more that are yet to be described. It is also almost certain that there are hundreds of species new to science, within the Park boundaries.

There are two major sub-orders:

Adephaga: that include the Family Carabidae: the ground beetles & tiger beetles (shown right)

Polyphaga: a large and diverse group with 155 Families ...

 

 
 
Hymenoptera  
  
 
Diptera  
  
 
See more on the ecology page ...  

Other Arthropods
 

Funnel web spiders (right) can often be found on the forest floor - especially during the dry season.

Below right: a huntsman spider has captured a cicada.

Below left: Harvestman (Opiliones) are abundant: they are not related to spiders and are omnivorous, eating primarily small invertebrates and all kinds of plant material and fungi; some are scavengers.

 
 

Above: a harvestman (left) and a spider that has captured a cicada (right). Millipedes are a common sight - they have 2 pairs of legs per 'segment' - which distinguishes them from centipedes, such as this long legged specimen on the right.

 

 


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updated: 25 June 2012 

 
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