All Creatures #86
Stick Insects
Two new associations between the eggs of stick insects and tiny wasps have been noted in Sarawak. This report of new egg–parasitoid associations provides insights into the ecological relationships between stick insects and wasps. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2026.2683085
Ferns
The identification of the fern Oreogrammitis yoderi on Mount Sinsing marks the first verified record from Sabah and theAll Creatures #86 second from Borneo since 1924. This discovery expands the species’ known range beyond the Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, increasing the number of Oreogrammitis species recorded in Borneo to 44, with 39 known from Sabah. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51200/jtbc.v23i.6897
Pygmy Elephants
Conserving pygmy elephants between Malaysia and Indonesia requires a change in management. Instead of protecting them in isolated spots, conservation needs to be coordinated across national borders. The fragmented lands where the animals live need to be connected together. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10390409/v1
Forests
Mengilan Forest Reserve, a class I protected forest in Southern Sabah adjacent to Kalimantan, was previously logged and is now managed for biodiversity under the Heart of Borneo Initiative. Mengilan represents an important refuge for threatened and endemic trees (dipterocarps) while providing a baseline for long-term monitoring and cross-border conservation management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23960/jsl.v14i3.1513
The Sunda Plate
Borneo, Indonesia and Malaya sit on the Sunda Plate. The Sunda Plate rotates. As it rotates, it bumps up against the Indian Australian Plate. This causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Scientists can measure the Sunda Plate’s rate of rotation. This rate has been recently refined. The plate’s centre of rotation has also shifted. It is located in Central Asia. Borneo is well south of the centre of this plate. Borneo moves clockwise and drifts 6-10 mm per year. This rotation is important for predicting earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. 10.1016/j.tecto.2026.231337
Freshwater Crabs
Researchers collected two little-known species of freshwater crabs in central Borneo. Researchers found one species in swamp water mixed with submerged plants and a muddy bottom. The other species was found under the rocks of a small stream. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2026.2701859
New Species
Doodlebugs or antlions. These flying dragonfly-like creatures produce larvae that dig holes in the sand and seize ants and other wandering creatures. Only eight species are recognised, and four new species were recently made known to science. https://zoobank.org/AC819DB4-9B84-4530-ADB8-16E23A550884
Great Argus and Crested Partridge
This camera study of the two species was conducted in the Crocker Range of Sabah. They are currently at a high risk of extinction because of habitat loss and hunting.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51200/bjms.v20iSuppl.7973
Green Turtles
The hatching rate of green turtles in Similajau National Park was only 45%. It remained low and inconsistent throughout the study period. The low rate was blamed on humans taking the eggs: Nesting Activity and Reproductive Output of Green Turtles in Similajau National Park, Bintulu, Sarawak.
New Species
Harpacticoid copepods are free-swimming little critters that are important to the food chain. Two new species have been reported from Borneo, bringing the total to 15, but many more remain undiscovered. 10.3390/d18080484
Kiruncong
Kiruncong is a Bidayuh musical instrument composed of six bamboo tubes of various lengths, tied together in a round, elongated drum-like configuration and struck to produce sound. It is both a musical instrument and a cultural symbol. Researchers recently analysed its sound. Bio Resources https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/26010
New Species
A new species of moss has been discovered from Sarawak. ISSN 0373-6687
Sarawak Malay
This essay examines knowledge of archaic words in Sarawak Malay. The author selected ten words which she deemed archaic and then tested them on 111 respondents. Some of the words are still in continued use, while others have begun to fade from the language. Words for knife and a place for washing clothes remain in the language, while words to wake up, excessive, pace back and forth, steal and pluck as in feathers were rarely used. JURNAL TAWAK: H U N A T E C H ISSN 2830-3466 | Volume 5 | Nomor 1 | Juni 2026 | Halaman 45-54
Exchange Rates
What affects exchange rates between the US dollar and the Indonesian Rupiah and Malaysian Ringgit? For the Rupiah, both interest rates and foreign exchange reserves affect the exchange rate, while inflation and economic growth do not. For the Ringgit, only interest rates have a significant effect. International Research Journal of Accounting and Business, Vol. xx No. xx (20xx). I have a copy
New Species
A new species of fungi belonging to the family that invades and kills insects has been made known to science from Sabah. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.772.2.1
Macaques
Researchers studied pig-tailed and long-tailed macaques and their habitat use within forest fragments surrounded by oil palm plantations. The pig-tailed macaque is most likely to live within the forests, while the long-tailed macaque survives on the fringes of the fragment. However, both species overlap these boundaries. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21315/
Clouded Leopard
Two species have now been recognised for the cat, with one in mainland Asia and the other in Indonesia. Scientists measured the size of the markings in 57 different specimens. The mainland cats have large cloud-like markings while the Indonesian ones have smaller markings. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2006.10.066
New Species
Four new species of the climbing forest plant Pothos Subgenus Allopothos have been described from Malaysian Borneo. It is often confused with money plant or pokok duit. https://doi.org/10.1002/fedr.70158Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Bacteria and Tilapia
This study shows antibiotic resistance in farmed tilapia in Bintulu and Miri, Sarawak. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of E. coli (100%) and Salmonella spp. (47.6%) in red hybrid tilapia from Sarawak, indicating widespread microbial contamination and concern for the food chain .http://dx.doi.org/10.21161/mjm.251056
Teeth and Betel Nuts 25,000 Years Ago
(not Borneo but interesting) Molars discovered in two Indonesian skeletons dated 16,000 and 25,000 years ago, respectively, had deep grooves which indicated sucking on Betel nuts. The 25,000 date indicates the oldest use of psychoactive drugs. The anthropologists speculated they used the nuts as a painkiller or a possible psychoactive drug. 10.1126/sciadv.aei1901
Rare Earth Elements in Sarawak
Rare Earth Elements could be profitably extracted from the Serian Volcanic formation with particular focus on the Riih area. Sarawak could benefit from the extraction if cleaner methods are used from the beginning. Rare earths are currently in great demand for magnets, defence systems and electronics.DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150700120
Kedayan Marriages
This article describes the berdikir and berbadak marriage ceremony in the Kedayan marriage ceremony in Lawas, Sarawak. The beredikir employs elements of advice, prayer and praise, while the berbadak symbolises self-purification and blessings in the transition of the bride’s life. Norita binti Harijaman et al.,” International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, RSIS International, vol. 10(21), pages 24-31, July.
Compiled by Tom McLaughlin for BorneoHistory.net