Dragonflies, Ants, Termites & Other Insects
 of Tabin Wildlife Reserve

During the Tabin Scientific Expedition of 1998 Kitagawa et al (1999) collected 25 species of dragonfly representing nine families. They identified 18 species. Different groups were associated with running and standing water. All were new records and at least ten of the identified species were endemic to Borneo. Some Tabin dragonflies are vividly coloured such as the unidentified red species (right) photographed near the Lipad Café.

Crickets (e.g. below) and cicadas are often seen, especially at night when they fly toward lights. The persistent sound of cicadas is a standard forest theme. Some species achieve a wingspan of ten cm. or more.

Right: Unidentified dragonfly (ICN photo)
Homathevi & Bignell (1999) did a preliminary survey of the Isoptera (termites) of Tabin and found 24 species or morpho-species representing 4 subfamilies and five functional feeding groups. Along with ants, termites make up the bulk of the insect biomass in tropical forests and termite hills are a a prominent feature of some sites. Termites are key species involved in the creation and development of jungle soils. They are also a food item for dozens of vertebrate and invertebrate predator species and are also consumed by carnivorous vegetation such as the pitcher plants (Nepenthes).

The order Hymenoptera includes ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. The Hymenoptera of Borneo rival beetles as the most species-diverse order of insects inhabiting the forest. About 80% of Hymenoptera species are parasitoids, developing in or on a single host or egg mass. The parasitic Hymenoptera are important in terms of species richness, ecological impact, and economic importance and the number of known species is in the tens of thousands. They attack a wide range of hosts and are often a dominant factor regulating arthropod populations.

Right: Unidentified cricket (Sabah Wildlife Dept. photo)

The honey bees are prominent forest insects with more pleasant behaviour. They are essential for pollination cycles that permit the survival of dozens of plant species and their honey or honeycombs are a favoured treat for many animal species including Homo sapiens.

Hashimoto et al (1999) collected 122 species of ants of 46 genera and 8 families during 8 days on the Tabin Scientific Expedition. This was the first survey of ant species at Tabin and it seems certain that future surveys will reveal the presence of many more species of such prominent jungle insects.

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