The Philippines is one of the (now 34)megadiverse countries with exceptional level ofendemism (Myers, 1988; Wildlife Conservation Society of the
Philippines, 1997; Heaney & Regalado, 1998; Mittermeier et al., 1999;
Holloway, 2003; Mey, 2003).
The Philippines has:
• 15 Biogeographical Areas
• 3 Biodiversity-Rich Corridors: Sierra Madre Biodiversity Corridor (D), Eastern
“Philippines is the Galapagos Islands ten times”
--Lawrence Heaney
Corridor (D), Eastern Mindanao Corridor (L) and Palawan Biodiversity Corridor (K) including the Calamian Area (G) (DENR-UNEP, 1997)
• High level of endemism
• 409 species of endangered, extinct & vulnerable species flora and fauna (CI, 2009)
• The Philippines has 70-80% of global biodiversity (Heaney & Mittermeier, 1998)
• The biogeographical sepa-ration of 7,107 islands makes it
Each of the oceanic island of the Philippines is a ‘theatre’ for biodiversity research
--Heaney, Walsh & Peterson (2005)
islands makes it with diverse flora and fauna
• Isolation of islands has led to speciation of flora and fauna and habitat
heterogeniety.
• Even a few hundreds sq. kilometres island hasapparent endemism (Heaney, Walsh & Peterson, 2005)
Percent distribution of the nearly 21,000inventoried Philippine insects from 27 orders,499 families and 6,185 genera
Source: Baltazar & Gapud (2001)
CLASS
Insecta
ORDER
Lepidoptera
INFRA-ORDER
Rhopalocera
SUPERFAMILY
Papilionoidea
SUPERFAMILY
Hesperioidea
FAMILY
Hesperiidae
FAMILY
Lycaenidae
FAMILY
Nymphalidae
FAMILY
Papilionidae
FAMILY
Pieridae
DIVISION
Ditrysia
Butterflies and moths are both classified
Scientific Classification
SUPERFAMILY
Hedyloidea
FAMILY
Riodinidae
FAMILY
Hedylidae
under Division Ditrysia, Class Insecta andOrder Lepidoptera. Order Lepidoptera isconsidered as one of the most ‘specioseorders (Wikipedia, 2009).
The existing number of ‘scientificallydescribed’ butterfly species in the world isconfusing. Some estimated it to be 13,700(Robbins, 1982), 17,116 (Hoskins, 2007),17,500 (Lepidoptera Taxome Project, 2004;Robbins & Opler, 1997).
The study, search and reclassification of butterflies worldwide is still going on.
The number of Philippine butterfly species is so confusing. Somereported 1,615 species and subspecies (Baltazar, 1993); 890 speciesand 900 subspecies (Gapud, 2005), 910 species (CI, 2008) and 915species; 910 subspecies (Danielsen & Treadaway, 2004) and 2,109(Pangga, 2002). Of the known species, one-third of them are foundendemic (Ballentes, Mohagan, Gapud, et al., 2006; Cl, 2008).
BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION MAP
The Philippines is divided into 14Terrestrial Conservation PriorityAreas (red circles) and 29additional areas for butterflyconservation, because of theirhigh level of endemism and‘irreplaceability’ (Danielsen &Treadaway, 2004).
According to IUCN (2006), the According to IUCN (2006), the country has…
• 18 species of butterflies in the Red List, 9 red lister papilionids and 9 nymphalids: 4 endangered, 8 vulnerable, 1 critically endan-gered and 4 lower risk species
Danielsen & Treadaway (2004) reported 11 critically endangered and 13 endangered butterflies
IUCN Red List
Papilio chikae Igarashi, 1965
STATUS: endangered
IUCN Red List
Papilio (xuthus) bengetanus Joicey & Talbot, 1923 STATUS: endangered
IUCN Red List
Papilio osmana Jumalon, 1967
STATUS: vulnerable
IUCN Red List
Graphium megaera Staudinger, 1888
STATUS: vulnerable
Graphium (Papilio) carolinensis Jumalon, 1967 STATUS: vulnerable
IUCN Red List
Pachliopta (Atrophaneura) schadenbergi Semper, 1891
STATUS: vulnerable
IUCN Red List
Graphium (Arisbe) idaeoides Hewitson, 1855
STATUS: vulnerable
IUCN Red List
Graphium sandawanum Yamamoto, 1977
STATUS: endangered
IUCN Red List
Idea electra Semper, 1878
STATUS: vulnerable
IUCN Red List
Euploea blossomae blossomae Schaus, 1929 & Euploea blossomae tamaraw
Nuyda & Morimoto, 1991
STATUS: near threatened
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Appendix I—Rare and endangered species. Trade of such species isprohibited. Proper export / re-export permit needed.
Appendix II—Neither rare or endangered species, but can becomeendangered if trade is not regulated. AppropriateCITES permit is needed.
Appendix III—Not rare or endangered species, but are subject tospecial management in their natural habitat.Appropriate CITES permit is needed.
The Philippines has one species classified underAppendix I, the Papilio chikae. The rest are the‘birdwings’, under Appendix II category, such as Troidesspp. and Trogonoptera spp.
Trogonoptera brookiana Wallace, 1855
Neither rare nor endangered
Trogonoptera trojana Honrath, 1886
Neither rare nor endangered
CITES Protected
Troides magellanus magellanus Felder & Felder, 1862
Neither rare nor endangered
Troides magellanus apoensis Wallace, 1855
Neither rare nor endangered
Troides rhadamantus plateni Staudinger, 1888
Neither rare nor endangered
Troides rhadamantus plateni Staudinger, 1888
Neither rare nor endangered
Papilio luzviae Schröder & Treadaway, 1889
Critically Endangered
Tanaecia susoni Jumalon, 1975
Critically Endangered
Tanaecia lupina lupina Druce, 1874
Critically Endangered
Tanaecia dodong Schröder & Treadaway, 1978
Critically Endangered
Cynitia godartii laetitae (?)
Endangered
Pachliopta antiphus elioti Page & Treadaway, 1995
Endangered
Appias aegis sibutana Schröder & Treadaway, 1989
Endangered
Liphyra brassolis hermelnuydae Schröder & Treadaway, 1988
Endangered
Celaenorrhinus treadawayi samarensis de Jong, 1981
Endangered
Papilio hermeli Nuyda, 1992
Presumed threatened
Green formGreen form
Blue form
Graphium codrus melanthus Felder & Felder, 1862
Presumed threatened
Graphium (Arisbe) delesserti palawanus Staudinger, 1889
Presumed threatened
ZOOMING-IN IN MARINDUQUE
Biogeographically, Marinduqueis classified under the GreaterLuzon Area together with BicolRegion.
But, I do believe that throughyears of its long isolation as anisland has led to speciesspeciation.speciation.
It is included as part ofcountry’s conservation area foranthropds (DENR-UNEP, 1997),especially on butterflies andbeetles (Baltazar & Gapud,2001; Danielsen & Treadaway,2004).
BUTTERFLY ECOLOGICAL ZONES of Marinduque Bayute-Sabong-Kitay-Tumagabok Area
Hesperiidae (36), Lycaenidae(161),
Nymphalidae (125), Papilionidae(30), Pieridae
(20), Riodinidae (1)
Cawit-Tugos-Duyay Area
Hesperiidae (18), Lycaenidae(58), Nymphalidae
(65), Papilionidae(25), Pieridae (11)
Bagtingon-Balagbag Mt. Range
Hesperiidae (45), Lycaenidae(165),
Nymphalidae (126), Papilionidae(30), Pieridae
(30), Riodinidae (1)
Mt. Malindig Area
Hesperiidae (24), Lycaenidae(149), Nymphalidae (92),
Papilionidae(25), Pieridae (18), Riodinidae (1)
Habitat & Seasonal Distribution in Bagtingon-Balagbag Mt. Range
Heperiids (45)
Habitat & Seasonal Distribution in Bagtingon-Balagbag Mt. Range
Lycaenids (165)Lycaenids (165)
Habitat Distribution in Bagtingon-Balagbag Mt. Range
Nymphalids (126)Nymphalids (126)
Habitat Distribution in Bagtingon-Balagbag Mt. Range
Pierids (30)
Habitat Distribution in Bagtingon-Balagbag Mt. Range
Papilionids (30)
Taxonomic Classification of Butterflies of Marinduque
Dacalana monsapona marinduquensis Hayashi,
Schröder & Treadaway, 1983
Not seen in the wild since 1993
Marinduque’s Endemic Species
Euripus nyctelius marinduquanus Treadaway, 1995
Not seen in the wild since 1993
Marinduque’s Endemic Species
Arophala anthelus marinduquensis Hayashi,
Schröder & Treadaway, 1983
Marinduque’s Endemic Species
Pachliopta strandi marinduquensis Page &
Treadaway, 1997
Not seen in the wild since 1993, but in 2006 some were spotted in Bagtingon-Balagbag Range
Marinduque’s Endemic Species
Paruparo lumawigi Schröder, 1976
Not seen in the wild since 1993
Marinduque’s Endemic Species
Some species with declining number on the wild
Lexias dertia Moore, 1897
Lexias pardalis Fruhstorfer,
1890
Some species with declining number on the wild
Polyura schreiberi Rothschild, 1899
Some species with declining number on the wild
Amblypodia narada erichsonii Felder, 1865
Poritia philota
Idea leuconoe gordita Fruhstorfer, 1911 Idea leuconoe solyma Fruhstorfer, 1910
INTRODUCED SPECIES in Marinduque
Progenies from Quezon
Province were introduced in Cawit, Boac in
1975
Idea leuconoe gordita Fruhstorfer, 1911 Idea leuconoe solyma Fruhstorfer, 1910
INTRODUCED SPECIES in Marinduque
Progenies from Mindoro were introduced in Cawit, Boac in
1995
Papilio memnon Linneaus, 1758
INTRODUCED SPECIES in Marinduque
Progenies from Palawan were introduced in Cawit, Boac in
1989
Papilio lowi Druce, 1873
RE-INTRODUCED SPECIES in Marinduque
Generally present in
Marinduque, but during the 80s they were not seen in the wild anymore.
Progenies from Aurora and
Babuyan
Troides magellanus Linneaus, 1758
Babuyan Islands were re-introduced in Cawit, Boac and Bagtingon, Buenavista in
1990
RE-INTRODUCED SPECIES in Marinduque
Generally present in
Marinduque, but during the 80s they were not seen in the wild anymore.
Progenies from Mindoro were re-introduced
Hebomoia glucippe philippinensis Wallace, 1863
re-introduced in Bagtingon, Buenavista in
1990
CAUSES OF DECLINING NUMBER OF BUTTERFLY SPECIES
Natural Causes
Man-Made Causes
1. Typhoon and related disasters
2. Infestation
3. Climate Change (El Niño, Global warming)
Man-Made Causes
1. Agriculture and related activities
2. Logging
3. Mining
…end of PART I