ENTOMOLOGY
Science About Insects Volume V
Insects are Nature's Forecasters
Dr Abe V Rotor
44. Your Backyard as Entomology Laboratory and Workshop
45. Lepidopterans - Moths, Butterflies and Skippers: A Study of Biodiversity
Click Beetle, Family Elateridae, Order Coleoptera, also called snapping beetle. When the insect falls on it back, it snaps its neck to regain normal position. Snapping can be clearly heard so that it becomes a game of sort. Ask "How many loves have I or she?" And the click beetle either remains still or clicks, sometimes in succession.
June Beetle, Leucopholis irrorata Family Scarabidae, Order Coleoptera, also called May beetle when the rains arrive early and the beetle metamorphoses early. Its larva called grub ius destructive to plants by eating the roots. It lives almost a year underground, spends a week as pupa, then crawls out of the soil. The biological clock of ther June beetle - so with other organisms - leaves more puzzles than what science can explain.
Left, Tussock Moth caterpillars (higad) Order Lepidopera devour a leaf of castor bean seemingly unaffected by the toxin ricinin, (from which the plant derives its scientific name - Ricinus communis) - one of the most poisonous substances in nature. Right, a bunch of juvenile short horned grasshoppers (Oxya velox), Family Locustidae, Order Orthoptera.
Naiad or young of the dragonfly, Order Homoptera, (left) in its last instar about to metamorphose. It is aquatic in its naiad stage and feeds on mosquito wrigglers, other insects, daphnia, and the like, for many months, then metamorphoses into the winged cicada. It leaves its skin cast intact, often on the trunk of a nearby tree (right photo). Only the male cicada can produce music, which is actually a mating call. The female is born mute and is attracted by the singing of the male. A good singer may attract as many as five females, which is not the case with other organisms, including humans.
Wasp pollinator of fig (Ficus pseudopalma). Figs have inverted flowers, so that pollination and fertilization are done by a wasp (specific to the fig species). It the female wasp which enters the posterior opening (operculum) of the flower which looks like fruity, pollinates and fertilizers the flowers, at the same time lays eggs which will produced the next generation of pollinators.
A relative of insects (Class Arachnida) this Wolsey Spider, a hairy large common house spider carries its egg sack to safety in preparation to hatching. Spiders are biological agents feeding on insect pest like mosquitoes, leafhoppers and weevils. The Wolsey spider got its name from Bishop Wolsey, right hand man of Henry VIII of England in the 14th century, who nearly died of fright on finding this spider in his bed. Wolsey died not because of the spider but because of ire of his cruel master. ~
45. Lepidopterans - Moths, Butterflies and Skippers: A Study of Biodiversity
46. Macro Photography* of Insects with Ordinary Camera, or Cellphone Camera
47. Moths: Masters of Camouflage and Mimicry
48. Bizarre creatures share our homes
49. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)- Practical Pest Control at Home and on the Field
50. Little Gladiators - Game and Gamble
51. Nature's Emissaries of Misfortune - and Death
52. Nature's Forecasters of Seasons and Weather.
53. Watch Out for Organisms Gone Wild
54. Ecological Sanctuary Garden is a Microcosm of the Biosphere
55. Thirty pesticide-free vegetables. How many can you identify?
44. Your Backyard as Entomology Laboratory and Workshop
Dr Abe V Rotor
The science of Insects is one of the least explored fields of biology because of their extreme diversity both genetic and environmental, their incredible persistence and wide adaptation. But to a keen observer, entomology can start on the backyard with unending source of specimen throughout the year. Take these examples.
Click Beetle, Family Elateridae, Order Coleoptera, also called snapping beetle. When the insect falls on it back, it snaps its neck to regain normal position. Snapping can be clearly heard so that it becomes a game of sort. Ask "How many loves have I or she?" And the click beetle either remains still or clicks, sometimes in succession.
June Beetle, Leucopholis irrorata Family Scarabidae, Order Coleoptera, also called May beetle when the rains arrive early and the beetle metamorphoses early. Its larva called grub ius destructive to plants by eating the roots. It lives almost a year underground, spends a week as pupa, then crawls out of the soil. The biological clock of ther June beetle - so with other organisms - leaves more puzzles than what science can explain.
Left, Tussock Moth caterpillars (higad) Order Lepidopera devour a leaf of castor bean seemingly unaffected by the toxin ricinin, (from which the plant derives its scientific name - Ricinus communis) - one of the most poisonous substances in nature. Right, a bunch of juvenile short horned grasshoppers (Oxya velox), Family Locustidae, Order Orthoptera.
Naiad or young of the dragonfly, Order Homoptera, (left) in its last instar about to metamorphose. It is aquatic in its naiad stage and feeds on mosquito wrigglers, other insects, daphnia, and the like, for many months, then metamorphoses into the winged cicada. It leaves its skin cast intact, often on the trunk of a nearby tree (right photo). Only the male cicada can produce music, which is actually a mating call. The female is born mute and is attracted by the singing of the male. A good singer may attract as many as five females, which is not the case with other organisms, including humans.
Wasp pollinator of fig (Ficus pseudopalma). Figs have inverted flowers, so that pollination and fertilization are done by a wasp (specific to the fig species). It the female wasp which enters the posterior opening (operculum) of the flower which looks like fruity, pollinates and fertilizers the flowers, at the same time lays eggs which will produced the next generation of pollinators.
Left, male rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros), Order Coleoptera. The male has elaborate and long horns like a miniature Triceratops, which are indeed menacing to its enemy though useless as tool of aggression. Rhino beetles are among the major pest of coconut, the larva or grub bores into the heart of the tree destroying the young leaves even before they are formed. Right, a stinkbug (Nezara viridula) Order Hemiptera, lay eggs in cluster. It earns its name from its characteristic bug odor that is obnoxious to its enemies such as birds and frogs - and to humans. The substance is caustic to the eye and skin.
Left, Cranefly, relative of the mosquito (Order Diptera) is also called as daddy-long-legs. It is constantly moving when it is supposed to be at rest. By swaying to and fro and side to side the insects is seen hazy to a would-be predator. In Ilocano we call the insect gingined (earthquake) because of its continuous quaking action. Right, a lone caterpillar prepares to attack a bud of Hibiscus (gummamela). It will metamorphose into a garden butterfly.
45. Lepidopterans - Moths, Butterflies and Skippers:
A Study of Biodiversity
Dr Abe V Rotor
Moth of cutworm (Prodenia litura) may be mistaken as skipper. Since I was I child I have been fascinated by the Lepidopterans. The butterflies are the most beautiful of all insects; one moth is considered the biggest insect in the world (Atlas atlas or mariposa has a wing expanse of nearly a foot); and the skipper gives goosebumps because they are believed by old folks as representatives of the world of spirits as night approaches. (Skippers are actually crepuscular, that is, they are active at dusk). Parents used to warn us kids to be home before dark.
One thing about lepidopterans, that many of us are not aware of, is that they all come from caterpillars, the name of their larvae, the counterpart of maggots in flies (Diptera), and grubs in beetles (Coleoptera). Caterpillars are also referred to as worms by farmers. Many are destructive, among them are armyworms and cutworms, corn borers, earworms, tobacco hornworm, rice stemborer, and the spiny tussock caterpillar (higad).
Yet it would be grossly unjust that Lepidopterans escaped from Pandora's Box. Without them there would be less fruits and vegetables. Forests and grasslands would not be as rich in stand as they are. It is because lepidopterans are the most efficient pollinators, equaled only by Hymenopterans (bees, wasps, and ants). They thin out unwanted plants, keeping those resistant ones to carry on their genes to the next generation. They convert organic compounds into their elemental components, the caterpillar acting as a living digester. They are nature's fertilizer manufacturers.
As pollinators the three lepidopterans have divided work hours: butterflies during the day, moths at night, and skippers at dusk and dawn. While they are selective in their nectar food, they have alternative hosts which enable them to tie up with all seasons, and to expand their geographic range of feeding. Curious as a child, I would uncoil their siphon, the counterpart of the tongue of most animals. The siphon works like a softdrinks straw, except that it is retractable and can be readily tucked neatly underneath like garden hose.
Why are lepidopterans so varied? How did the different species evolve? Speciation is a term in evolution - the formation of a new species. But when is a species a new species, and different from its parent stock?
It baffles the mind to know there are millions of species of plants and animals. If the lower forms of life are included, and those living in the forbidding depth of the sea, and those in the past which are known only by their fossils, indeed the biosphere, the living world in which we live in today, is the biggest mystery on earth.
Species evolve into new species, ad infinitum. This is the foundation of diversity. The more diverse the living world is, the more the members can adapt to the changing environment, both in short term and long - and continuing, covering thousands or millions of years. Evolution in general tends to progress towards not only the preservation of a species but also the enhancement of the survival of others, directly and indirectly. And most important, it prepares the formation of new species, which explains the increasing diversity of life forms.
This means that the lepidopterans continue to evolve, so that more and more species and subspecies are likely to be formed. Because this takes a very long time, there is no direct reference to prove that the skipper may have developed from moth and butterfly. Or the moth evolved from skipper and butterfly. But because of certain commonalities in their morphology and physiology they are grouped under one family.
Thus we have the so-called grouping of organisms into different levels beginning at the top as Phylum (animals) or Division (plants). Similarities of members become more pronounced on the level of Order, and much more in the Family. The closest similarities are found on the Genus level. In fact the members may be difficult to differentiate, so that we can only surmise speciation is still going on.
Life on earth is still expanding. It is actually explosion of life forms and number in slow motion. Like the universe expanding in space since the Big Bang, so with life forms expanding in the biosphere. This is the way the Great Maker has intended it to be - through the natural laws that govern dynamic balance and stability called homeostasis.
The lepidopterans provide the ideal specimen to ponder on this great phenomenon. ~
46. Macro Photography* of Insects
with Ordinary Camera, or Cellphone Camera
Dr Abe V Rotor
Macro photography is extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects and living organisms like insects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size.
The Obnoxious Cotton Stainer (Dysdercus cingulatus)
How do you know a True Bug?
Colorful early nymph stage of Harlequin Bug (Murgantia histrionica) .
Right, last instar of nymph showing a pair of developing wing pads.
The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an insect
in the family Pentatomidae.
True bugs emit a characteristic odor, specially when crushed. This is a practical way of telling an insect if it is really a bug. Bugs secrete a caustic substance that is corrosive to the eye and skin. (If affected, immediately wash with warm water and mild soap.)
Bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis - egg, nymph, and adult. Both the immature and mature insects have sucking mouth parts. They subsist on the sap of plants, resulting in stunting, defoliation and death of the host plants.
The term "bug" is a spy term. Bugged, means "being secretly monitored", usually with an electronic device, such as a miniature microphone.
Bugged could mean an exaggerated zeal for something (camera bug). It could mean the failing of a machine, or the compactness of a car (buggy). Think of the surreptitious nature and other adaptive ways of the bedbug.(Cimex lectularius) PHOTO ~
Beetles - Little Gladiators
A. Iridescent* Asian Jewel Beetle (Sternocera aequisignata)
*Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include wings of certain insects, feathers, butterfly wings and seashells as well as certain minerals.
B. Click Beetle - Living Catapult: Click Beetle (kuddo Ilk) Alaus spp. Family Elateridae, Order Coleoptera*
C. Rhinoceros Beetle - Male Oryctes rhinocerus
Preying Mantis
A preying mantis (Mantis religiosa L) catches its prey
with specialized raptorial appendages.
A gravid Green Preying Mantis
47. Moths: Masters of Camouflage and Mimicry
Dr Abe V Rotor
Sphinx Moths:
Polymorphism or Diversity? These three Sphinx moths have strong basic morphological characteristics, including size and color that at first glance one would not suspect their differences. The shape and position of their antennae are different, so with their "hoods". Another difference lies in the markings on their bodies and wings. In some cases a pair of eyes appears real to a would-be predator.
Halloween Moth (Brahmaea sp)
Other Living Specimens
A. Phosphorescent Caterpillars
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Glowing caterpillars feast on the leaves of ilang-ilang (Cananga odorata)
B. Singing cicadas. How many are they in this photo? Only the male sings and attracts the female. A beautiful song brings in two or more potential mates such as the case in this photo.
C. "King Spider" (Gagambang Hari) - Argiope aurantia
Author takes a close look into its intricate hanging web. ~ 48. Bizarre creatures share our homes
Bagworm, looper or geometrid, giant African snail, balloon frog
Dr Abe V Rotor
A very large family, it has around 35,000 species of moths. A well-known member is the Peppered Moth, Biston betularia, which has been subject of numerous studies in population genetics. Several other geometer moths are notorious pests. These include Chaisma, Selenia, Scopula and Tetracis Geometrid moths however have butterfly characteristics, like slender abdomen. Typical of moths, they are nocturnal, active at night time. Note specimen crawling on the author's arm. Does the looper cause blister like the higad?
The pagoda is built by adding shingles over the bag, each shingle increases in size as the larva gets bigger. Which of these photos shows the correct position of the insect with its host plant?
Giant African snail (Achatina fulica) is the biggest land snail in the Philippines, introduced by the Japanese during WWII, either as supplemental food or biological agent of warfare. This mollusk has developed into a pest of garden and orchard crops.
Can you locate the pair of eyes? You may use a magnifying glass over these photos, or you may zoom in these photos in your computer.
Globular or Balloon Frog (Tukak Bat'og Ilk which means fat bellied)
Uperodon systoma is a small genus of microhylid frogs from South Asia. Their sister taxon is Ramanella of Class Amphibia, Order Anura. The common name of these frogs is globular frogs or balloon frogs in reference to their stout appearance. These medium-sized (maximum snout–vent length 64–76 mm (2.5–3 in) burrowing frogs eat ants and termites. This species is widespread in South Asia, Little is known about the population status of this species. This is a completely fossorial species that buries itself in loose, moist soil.
Specimens have been observed in dry forest areas, plains, home gardens and low-intensity agricultural areas. The adults surface only during the summer monsoons; during the dry months they retreat into the soil. Termites are reportedly the main food of this species. Breeding takes place during the monsoon rains. Males call from the banks of torrents or paddy fields, and eggs are laid in masses which float on the water surface.
The main threats are the loss of suitable habitat to increasing urbanization, and the pollution of both land and wetlands with agrochemicals. There are no reports of this species being utilized, except that it is caught for food like other edible frogs in some parts of the country. What triggers this frog to become enormously bloated like a balloon from which it got its name?
Answer to Trivia:
1. Looper: The caterpillar is smooth and has no poisonous hairs like the higad (tussock moth caterpillar).
2. Pagoda bagworm - The normal position is upside down. The bagworm hangs on the underside of the leaf for protection against direct sunlight and enemies.
3. Giant African snail: The eyes are mounted at the tip of each of the longer antennae like periscope.
4. Balloon frog: It engulfs air until it become distended. This is for self defense since it appears instantly big before its puzzled potential predator. When threatened it wedges itself in its abode like a rock crevice where it is difficult to pry it out. By storing air it can stay under water, or afloat, and it can travel on moving water. Air increases the volume of the frog's mating call which can be heard far and wide. ~
Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8-9 evening class, Monday to Friday
Living with Nature in Our Times
Copyright 2007 Abercio V Rotor and University of Santo Tomas
Living with Folk Wisdom
Copyright 2009 Abercio V Rotor and University of Santo Tomas
49. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Dr Abe V Rotor
Here are pest control techniques you can adopt at home.
1. To control furniture weevil and moths which destroy the felt and piano wood, place a teabag of well-dried and uncrushed black pepper in the piano chamber near the pedals. Paminta is a good repellant and has a pleasant smell.
Lantana camara or bangbangsit is effective as insect
repellant. It is also an ornamental plant. It attracts
butterflies. Grow a hill or two in your garden.
2. Coconut trees whose shoots are destroyed by rhinoceros beetle (Oryctis rhinoceros) can be saved with ordinary sand. If the trees are low, sprinkle sand onto the leaf axils (angle between the leaf and axis from which it arises). Sand contains silica that penetrates the beetle’s conjunctiva, the soft part of the body where hard chitinous plates (hard outer membrane) are joined.
3. To control bean weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus) PHOTO, an insect that destroys stored beans, especially mungo), mix a little ash of rice hull (ipa’) and spread it in a way that sand kills the rhinoceros beetle.
4. To get rid of nematodes (microscopic elongated, cylindrical worms) in the soil, incorporate chopped or ground exoskeleton (skin) of shrimps into the soil, preferably mixing it with compost. Chitinase is formed which dissolves the cover of the egg and the body of the nematode. Use poultry dropping to reduce nematode population in farms and gardens.
5. To control the cucurbit (plants of the gourd family) fruit fly (Dacus cucurbitae), wrap the newly formed fruits of ampalaya and cucumber with paper bag. Bagging is also practiced on mango fruits. For ampalaya use newspaper (1/8 of the broadsheet) or used paper, bond size. Roll the paper into two inches in diameter and insert the young fruit, folding the top then stapling. Bagged fruits are clean, smooth and light green. Export quality mangoes are individually bagged on the tree.
6. To keep termites away from mud-plastered walls, incorporate termite soil (anthill or punso). To discourage goats from nibbling the trunk of trees, paint the base and trunk with manure slurry, preferably their own, mixed with carburo paint (white paint).
7. Raise ducks to eat snail pest (golden kuhol) on the farm. Chicken and birds are natural insect predators.
8. An extra large size mosquito net can be made into a mini greenhouse. Underneath, you can raise vegetables without spraying. You can conduct your own experiments such as studying the life cycle of butterflies.
Caterpillars of Papilio butterfly. Insects constitute
a major food of birds, reptiles, bats and other animals.
9. Plants with repellant properties can be planted around the garden. Examples of these are lantana (Lantana camara), chrysanthemum, neem tree, eucalyptus, madre de cacao (Gliricida sepium), garlic, onions, and kinchai (Allium tuberosum).
10. To scare birds that compete for feeds in poultry houses, recycle old balls, plastic containers, styro and the like, by painting them with two large scary eyes (like those of owls). This is the reason why butterfly wings have “eyes” on them to scare away would-be predators.
Scarecrows on a ricefield
Hang these modern scarecrows in areas frequented by birds. To scare off birds in the field, dress up used mannequins. In some cases, the mannequin may be more effective than the T-scarecrow. Discarded cassette tape ribbon tied along the field borders scares maya and possibly other pests.
11. Prevent ants from invading dining table, kitchen sink, cupboard, by wiping with dilute natural vinegar, after final cleaning. (2 part water and 1 part natural vinegar). Vinegar is also a deodorizer of fungus and fish odor. Natural vinegar is a disinfectant too.
12. Plant around the house eucalyptus, weeping willow trees. They are repellents to many pest. Use the dried leaves as smudge like "katol." Smudging also induces fruiting of mango and other fruit trees, flowering os ornamental plants as well. Try it, it's also aroma therapeutic.
13. Never kill the spiders around. So with the wasps and preying mantis. They are nature's biological agents. Just sweep the old cobwebs and let them rebuild new webs. Fogging and spraying is their number one enemy. Spraying and fogging are the last resort. Cover eyes and nose when spraying. Don't follow the advertisements. PESTICIDE IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS. PESTICIDE POISONING IS CUMULATIVE. Scented sprays is deceiving because more poisons get into the body.
14. One practical means of insect control is by harvesting insects for food. This practice is not only confined among primitive societies but is still one of the most practical means of controlling insects. Anyone who has tasted kamaro’ (sautéed mole cricket – Gryllotalpa africana) would tell you it is as tasty as shrimps, lobsters or other crustaceans. After all, insects and shrimps belong to the same phylum – Arthropoda. Their body composition is the same, so with the nutrition we get - shrimp, crabs, locusts, cockroaches, spiders, scorpions, lobster, kuratsa, ipis dagat - all these are served in different recipes - to the gustatory delight of customers.
15. Locusts may destroy crops but, in a way, bring food to its victims. During a swarm, locust is harvested by the sacks and sold for food and animal feeds. The same goes with gamu-gamu (winged termites – Macrotermes) at the onset of the rainy season, or the salagubang (Leucopolis irrorata), another insect delicacy. Other food insects are the grubs of kapok beetle locally called u-ok, eggs and larvae of hantik (green tree ant), larvae of honeybee and cheese maggots. Recently my family on vacation ordered hantik eggs in a restaurant in Vigan. Its price? P250 per order. Since then, we became vigilant of the presence of nests of this green tree ant in the trees around the house.
The consequence is that, without the hantik, you will have more problems. They are gleaners around the house, consuming morsels of pets which they carry to their tree nest to feed their young. They guard our orchard from intruders. No one would dare to climb a hantik-guarded tree. You can wait from the fruits to ripen in the tree. By the way, hantik ants seldom bite the residents of the house. They seem to recognize their master. There is some kind of pheromone affinity developed by association, and mutual understanding, I guess.
Hantik are predators of insects, among them the dreaded hairy caterpillar - higad! No wonder swarming of higad follows the harvesting of the green tree ants' nests.
When is an insect a pest?
When we see an insect, instinct tells us to kill it. We should not. A caterpillar is a plant eater, but the beautiful butterfly that emerges from it is harmless, efficient pollinator. Hantik ants make harvesting of fruits inconvenient because of their painful bite, but they guard the trees from destructive insects. Houseflies carry germs, but without them the earth would be littered with dead, undecomposed organisms. They are nature’s chief decomposers working hand in hand with bacteria and fungi. Termites may cause a house to fall apart, but without them the forest would be a heap of fallen trees.
Garlic controls most garden pests. Just add some crushed cloves to a pail of water before watering the plants.
There is no way to escape pesky creatures. Conflict arises only when their populations increase rapidly to overrun our crops, spoil our stored products, and threaten our health and welfare.
Skipper with false eyes to scare predators.
We have set certain thresholds of our co-existence with insects. As long as they do not cross that line, we can cohabit this planet peacefully with them. By so doing, we can ponder at the beauty of their wings, the mystery of the fire they carry, the music they make, the sweetest syrup they make, the finest silk they weave, the magnitude of their numbers, their playful manners, their virtually indestructible built, or marvel at the mystery of their presence.~
Lesson, former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday
Trapping nocturnal insects as research. Entomology is the study of insects. UST Graduate School students at Amadeo, Cavite, with author as their professor (3rd from right).
Lesson, former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday
7. Control coconut beetle by broadcasting sand into the leaf axils.
Silica penetrates into the delicate tissues of the insect. As a result its injury leads to dehydration and infection, and consequently death.
Dr Abe V Rotor
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Rhinocerus beetle (Oryctes rhinocerus) is a scourge of coconut,drastically reducing production, if not killing the tree at any stage. Right, a healthy tree can produce up to 50 nuts every two month.
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Noticed that coconut trees growing along or close to sandy shores are seldom attacked by coconut beetle - Oryctes rhinoceros, a scourge of coconut whose larva and adult burrow into the bud and destroy the whole top or crown of the tree.
Farmers broadcast sand into the leaf axils of coconut trees in their early development stage until they have grown too tall to be reached.The scientific explanation to this practice is that sand (or silica, the raw material in making glass) is very sharp. Under the microscope each particle is a glass shard which can penetrate without difficulty the soft joints (conjunctiva) of the insect's armor. This is the insect's "Achilles heel," so to speak.
As the insect moves, the silica penetrates into the delicate tissues of the insect. As a result its injury leads to dehydration and infection, and consequently death.
If you have young coconuts growing at home and you find signs of the pest, scoop some sand and sprinkle it in between the leaf stalks - or axils. This is safer than using chemical insecticide. And you practically spend nothing, except work and patience.~
Palm Sunday is a nemesis to the coconut trees, and to the coconut industry, the mainstay of the Philippine economy in coconut-based areas. Thousands of trees are sacrificed for their young leaves made into paslaspas during Palm Sunday (Holy Week). Young trees are killed for the bud leaves as well as for the the core or ubod which is made into fresh lumpia, a popular delicacy.
Coconut tree stripped of their young leaves for palaspas are easy target of the coconut beetle. The inflicted wound attracts the fecund female rhinoceros beetle to lay eggs, and the wound serves as entry for the newly hatch grubs which ultimately will bore and destroy the tree. Adult beetles are likewise lured to attack wounded trees. Analogous to this is that, after a typhoon, infestation rises sharply. Weakened condition of wounded trees exacerbate the damage which leads to premature death. Coconut trees are known to live productively for fifty years,and even longer.
Today there's a serious pest of coconut - Scale Insects (Aspidiotus destructor). Several provinces particularly in Region 4 have been placed under emergency. Harvesting young leaves of coconut for handicraft, culinary, palaspas, and the like, further predisposes infested coconut trees to succumb. The young leaves are the ultimate defence when the older leaves are heavily infested with the scale insect.
50. Little Gladiators - Game and Gamble
Dr Abe V Rotor
Gagambang Hari
Gladiator Rhinoceros BeetleDo you still play native games and sports? At least you remember the games you played on the countryside when you were a child. Or occasionally watch old folks playing the games in their own time.
Here are traditional games, many of them endangered. There are contemporary games which have traditional roots, while others are simply versions on old ones.
1. June Beetle Gladiators – Raise the tough outer pair of wings of this seasonal insect (Leucopholis irrorata) in a perpendicular position and clip it together with the split end of a barbecue stick five inches long. Do the same thing on another beetle of the same size so that each one faces the opposite direction. Draw a line between the two gladiators equidistant to each other. The contest begins. The struggle goes on until the stronger beetle pulls its opponent across the line and wins. A second or third round may be necessary to resolve any doubt.
2. Rhinoceros Beetle Gladiators – Oryctes rhinoceros is coconut beetle known as u-uang (Tag) or barra-irong (Ilk). The larva (grub) bores and feeds on the growing bud of the coconut. The males have horns which naturally makes fierce looking. The females on the other hand, have no horns and are relatively docile. During the mating season the males ferociously fight over their mates, a ritual that may last for hours, and this is what makes them favorite gladiators especially among the Thais who bet heavily on them like fighting cocks. The game is celebrated on a national scale during the emergence of the beetle usually from April to June. It is a traditional game for all ages and classes, lately the rearing of fighting beetles known as kwang has evolved into business in as much as the game has transformed into big time gambling.
Shielded by a tough armor made of chitin, the male is reminiscent of a medieval knight - clean, shiny, compact, and armed with horns. Normally the horn comes in a pair, vertically positioned, but in some species the horns form a trident with the lateral pair as long and as pointed as the central horn. Horns may reach a third of the body length of the insect, but these are more decorative than functional, except that in the insect world the horns are a deterrent to potential predators, and are used by the insect to bluff its own rival.
3. Spider Gladiators – Spiders are by nature ferocious and they attack even their own kind. Why, we do not find spiders living in group. It is because they will always try to defend their niche and will resort to kill any intruder. Even in mating the male which is smaller may end up instead as a meal. It is for this trait that this sport takes advantage of. Curious kid as we were, we would conceal our spider gladiator in empty individual match boxes. The matchmaker arranges the duel between two similar species of the same size.
The contest starts. Actually it is a game of death. Some people even bet to the point of gambling, especially for large spiders like the gagambang hari which measures up 5 inches from tip of front leg to tip of the hind leg. Tarantulas, other than being rare, are docile and would rather try to scare off their enemies before considering any bloody confrontation.
Our folks used to warn us, “Beware of the black widow spider!” We kids would hesitate to capture any unusual kind of a spider. The skull and crossbones insignia embosomed on the back of the black widow is still fresh in my mind. By the way, whatever kind of spider you find, take precaution; there are cases of allergy from spider bite and from inhaling hair dust specially during molting.
4. Beetle “kite” – It’s a game we children on the farm played when the salagubang (L. irrorata) finally emerges at the onset of the rainy season, usually in May or as early as April, although the insect normally comes out of the ground in June, hence its name – June beetle. We would tie the end of a thread like a kite on the pair of hind legs, then make the insect fly into the air. The beetle that flew the highest and the longest won. But we had to repeat the game over and over until the insect is exhausted, and then we replace it with fresh ones – or until we ourselves got tired.
5. Kite dog fight – Gladiator kites fight it out in the sky, but it’s the string that is the target more than the kite itself. This is how we did it in our plaza in San Vicente where we used to play kite come harvest time, in the months of October and November. At that time there was no nylon or monofilament, so it was the good old cotton thread, “numero viente” we used, which is the standard for kite string then. We would pound glass finely and mix it with egg yolk, then coat it on the kite string. When it gets dry the string is like sandpaper (papel de liha).
Here we go. The opponent’s kite and our kite are flown simultaneously. And when both kites are sufficiently stable in the air, we bring the two kites at striking distance, until the strings get entangled. Now the fight is whose kite falls – or which string breaks. Most often it is the string that spells victory. You can imagine the loser running after his kite across the fields, over fences and making sure no one gets ahead to retrieve it. A loose kite is everybody’s, and ends up to somebody.
10 comments:
- Angela said...
- I usually do witness these games when I go to the province. Children would tie a string on the salagubang and let it the poor insect fly around while being bound. However, for me, it is not really a pleasing sight. Not because I hate to see the poor insect suffer but because I just don't like insects.
MANARANG, Angela Therese C.
4CA2 - March 5, 2009 3:52 AM
- darrel said...
- When I pass by in our street I saw children holding a matchbox with different species of spider. Spiders are being played by the children and even the older one. They put the two spiders in battle and the one who falls down first is the loser.
- March 5, 2009 3:59 AM
- darrel said...
- I want to collect the different species of spiders. We should also take care of them because they are very important in our eco system.
- March 5, 2009 4:04 AM
- darrel said...
- Ever since I was a child I have been very grossed out by spider webs. I was afraid of spiders as a child and would scream and cry if a spider was in.
- March 5, 2009 4:06 AM
- darrel said...
- When I was a child I have been very grossed out by spider webs. I was afraid of spiders as a child and would scream and cry if a spider was in my room until one of my parents or sister would come and remove the invader.
- March 5, 2009 4:59 AM
- annetukinn said...
- I’m really missing these native games. I remember how my cousin, who’s in Batangas, would keep his spiders in a customized spider-box. He used matchboxes, and put divisions for each of his spider. It’s sad, howeve, that I don’t see kids nowadays collecting spiders or having fun with beettles.
- March 5, 2009 9:23 AM
- Erick said...
- In the first time, my friends used to catch spiders and beetles and make them fight. I thought it was bad, but later on I envious to their happiness, I also try to catch one and made a battle with them. I forgot the name of my spider but I used to put it in a matchbox or garapon and give him some flies or little worms for food. Is it bad? To play with the spiders or beetles? Well, I was a kid that time and all I know was to play. :)
-Erick I-BA- - March 7, 2009 5:32 PM
- darwin XD said...
- sir, i caught one last night i think it is a rhinoceros beetle it had a horn-like on his head. i throw it on the sky to release it because it is very rare to one on this kind of day because of the pollution and industrialization and cutting down trees.
- March 11, 2009 8:23 AM
- angelicapascual said...
- When I was a kid, my busmates used to play spiders on a matchbox. They used to play it every dismissal time. My busmates playing these kind of game are not boys, they are girls and I think they enjoy playing it. :)
- March 17, 2009 3:52 AM
- abelene marie said...
- i really love seeing young boys in our street playing this kind of game but i am very sad when i see those little spider and beetles losing their head and even their feet after every fight. but it is a tradition for most young men today they are enjoying from what was happening to their so called "pamato sa laban".
- March 26, 2009 2:46 AM
51. Nature's Emissaries of Misfortune - and Death
When a black cat crosses your way, don't proceed. Pause for sometime to break the spell. Or go back home and postpone your trip.
Dr Abe V Rotor
1. You can actually hear death knocking in the night.
It’s like an Edgar Allan Poe’s story of death tapping on “a night dark and dreary”, but in this case it is not a raven. It is the Death-watch Beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum) that we allude to death. It is an insect with an unsavory habit all right. Its name was derived from the scary tapping sound it produces, which is frequently heard during mating period, usually in April or May.
The beetle simply jerks its body forward in rapid succession, and strikes each time with the lower front part of its head against the surface on which it happens to be standing. It gives eight taps in slightly less than a second; and almost before it stops another beetle of its kind that is within hearing distance will respond by tapping back in the same quick manner. In woodworks and furniture that have been attacked by the Death-watch Beetle, the worm holes are large and distinguished by the presence of frass and powder around the openings.
The beetles are from one-fourth to one-third of an inch in length, dark brown in color, spotted and banded irregularly with thick patches of short yellow gray hairs. Pairing takes place after the beetles have made their exit from the wood, and they die a few weeks later, the female in the meantime having laid some 70 eggs. The tapping is of the nature a sexual call, and may be repeated over and over for quite a long time. Grating sound may also be heard as the larvae gnaw on wood inside its tunnel. It takes three years to complete the insect’s life cycle. A more familiar beetle, Anobium punctatum, is called powder post or furniture beetle, named after the dust it scatters at the mouth of its tunnel on furniture.
2. The kingfisher’s throaty voice is a call of death, so the old folks say.
Well, when ponds and rivers dry up because of drought, this fish eater will scour for alternative food outside its niche, poaching around farms and homes. They are the emissary of El Niño.
Common kingfisher (Alcedines sp). Kingfishers are a group of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found outside of the Americas. (Wikipedia)
3. Bats swoop on unwary people at night.
Bats, the only true flying mammals are perhaps the most misunderstood creatures because of their ugly looks and enigmatic life embellished with superstitious beliefs and associated with fiction such as the story of Dracula, a bloodthirsty count-vampire in the world of the undead. Movies, cartoons, and children’s stories have projected a bad image of bats, giving us the impression they are enemies of mankind.
Fruit bat closeup; morsels of guava from night feeding at the author's backyard in QC. Photos by the author.
The truth is that bats are harmless, except for three known species called vampire bats that feed on the blood of animals. Seventy percent of the one thousand species of bats live on insects as their daily diet. One bat can devour 1000 mosquitoes in one hour. The bigger species eat on fruits (fruit bats). Insectivorous bats swoop down on flying insects in the dark which they detect by means of echolocation (natural radar) making it appear that they are attacking people when they get too close to them.
Bats are nature’s biological agents in controlling destructive insects. They pollinate plants that bloom only in the night, and they are very efficient in disseminating seeds of many plants. By carrying out these functions bats are crucial in maintaining the ecological balance of fragile ecosystems like the desert and chaparral. Their droppings accumulated for years in their cave dwellings make the best and safest organic fertilizer (guano). Let us protect the bats instead; they are indeed man’s valuable friends.
4. Someone dies if the
fire tree is in full bloom.
It sounds more of a premeditated action rather than prediction. In olden days there were tribes that go headhunting when the fire tree (Delonix regia) was in full bloom. In the Philippines the early Ilongots of the Cordillera Mountain used to descend to claim their victims from among the lowlanders. The sacrifice was part of a ritual to win a woman’s heart. How true is the story, we do not know. But among the Aztecs and Mayans, sacrificing human beings to their gods was a common practice before they were converted into Christianity.
One explanation of this belief is that the fire tree blooms to its fullest in the face of extreme drought, most likely due to El Niño, a condition that causes untold death and misery. It is the upland dwellers that are worse affected, forcing them to go to the lowlands in search for food or seek refuge, inevitably causing trouble.
5. Black butterfly that enters the house tells that a close relative is going to die.
There is no scientific explanation to this, except that butterflies are attracted by flower-like scents which perfumeries have been trying to copy. Check the brand of your perfume and call the company.
Beware though of certain perfumes, they attract bees.
6. “Flowers” on fingernails means a relative is going to die.
White maps on fingernails are a sign of malnutrition, mainly calcium. It means the skeletal system is also weak. Unless corrected, this condition may lead to poor physical condition, health problems – and death.
7. It’s lucky to find a four-leaf clover.
There are freaks in nature all around us. Some are common, others occur only in a million chances. It is the latter that people who find them feel they are favored by some kind of luck.
But we also fancy on common ones like an elephant shaped papaya fruit, twin bunches of banana, ginseng root forked like beautiful legs, squash fruit with a face, and the like. These are deviations that appear suddenly and unexpectedly. Nature after all is not perfect. It also commits errors, and these errors may occur only temporarily in the organism concerned, or it is passed on to its offspring – which is the key to speciation, a progressive deviation of traits that ultimately leads to the making of a new species.
Try your luck again if you can’t find a real clover leaf representing the logo of the Boy Scout. Steal a leaf of makahiya, one that does not droop, and your wish – any wish – will be granted.
8. When a black cat crosses your way, don't proceed. Pause for sometime to break the spell. Or go back home and postpone your trip.
The truth is that bats are harmless, except for three known species called vampire bats that feed on the blood of animals. Seventy percent of the one thousand species of bats live on insects as their daily diet. One bat can devour 1000 mosquitoes in one hour. The bigger species eat on fruits (fruit bats). Insectivorous bats swoop down on flying insects in the dark which they detect by means of echolocation (natural radar) making it appear that they are attacking people when they get too close to them.
Bats are nature’s biological agents in controlling destructive insects. They pollinate plants that bloom only in the night, and they are very efficient in disseminating seeds of many plants. By carrying out these functions bats are crucial in maintaining the ecological balance of fragile ecosystems like the desert and chaparral. Their droppings accumulated for years in their cave dwellings make the best and safest organic fertilizer (guano). Let us protect the bats instead; they are indeed man’s valuable friends.
4. Someone dies if the
It sounds more of a premeditated action rather than prediction. In olden days there were tribes that go headhunting when the fire tree (Delonix regia) was in full bloom. In the Philippines the early Ilongots of the Cordillera Mountain used to descend to claim their victims from among the lowlanders. The sacrifice was part of a ritual to win a woman’s heart. How true is the story, we do not know. But among the Aztecs and Mayans, sacrificing human beings to their gods was a common practice before they were converted into Christianity.
One explanation of this belief is that the fire tree blooms to its fullest in the face of extreme drought, most likely due to El Niño, a condition that causes untold death and misery. It is the upland dwellers that are worse affected, forcing them to go to the lowlands in search for food or seek refuge, inevitably causing trouble.
5. Black butterfly that enters the house tells that a close relative is going to die.
There is no scientific explanation to this, except that butterflies are attracted by flower-like scents which perfumeries have been trying to copy. Check the brand of your perfume and call the company.
Beware though of certain perfumes, they attract bees.
6. “Flowers” on fingernails means a relative is going to die.
White maps on fingernails are a sign of malnutrition, mainly calcium. It means the skeletal system is also weak. Unless corrected, this condition may lead to poor physical condition, health problems – and death.
There are freaks in nature all around us. Some are common, others occur only in a million chances. It is the latter that people who find them feel they are favored by some kind of luck.
But we also fancy on common ones like an elephant shaped papaya fruit, twin bunches of banana, ginseng root forked like beautiful legs, squash fruit with a face, and the like. These are deviations that appear suddenly and unexpectedly. Nature after all is not perfect. It also commits errors, and these errors may occur only temporarily in the organism concerned, or it is passed on to its offspring – which is the key to speciation, a progressive deviation of traits that ultimately leads to the making of a new species.
Try your luck again if you can’t find a real clover leaf representing the logo of the Boy Scout. Steal a leaf of makahiya, one that does not droop, and your wish – any wish – will be granted.
8. When a black cat crosses your way, don't proceed. Pause for sometime to break the spell. Or go back home and postpone your trip.
It's just superstition. Proceed...
52. Insects as Nature's Emissaries and Forecasters
How do you know rain is coming? Here are signs.
Dr Abe V Rotor
Hovering dragonflies indicates a coming rain.
Old folks can tell if it’s going to rain early or late in the day just by observing the dragonflies. Dragonflies or tutubing kalabaw (Odonata) come in horde and hover over our heads in the meadow, farms, football field, or any place where they swoop upon their prey – small insects such as leafhoppers, gnats and midges (gamugamu) that escape from their abode to find shelter elsewhere. But how do they sense an oncoming rain? These insects are endowed with sensitive antennae and tactile body hairs, and can detect the changes of temperature and relative humidity that characterize an approaching rain.The more dragonflies hovering, and the closer they get to the ground, the heavier is the coming rain, the old folks warn. By the way, it is the dragonfly’s predatory habit that has earned them a place in the heart of farmers.
Ants on the move means that a strong rain, if not a typhoon, is coming. Cockroaches come out of their abode and seek for shelter outside.
The biological clock of these creatures responds to invisible signals, which comprise decreased atmospheric pressure, high relative humidity and air temperature. Their sensitive antennae and tactile hairs covering their body pick these up these changes of the environment. Thus we find ants in exodus, they move as a colony carrying their eggs and
young indoors. Cockroaches become unusually active, flying about in frenzy, in search for a new place. There is a common message, that is, to escape to safer ground, an archetype ingrained in their genes passed on to them by their ancestors through evolution. Common dragonfly (Order Odonata); fire ants (Solenopsis geminata); American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)
53. Watch Out for Organisms Gone Wild
Dr Abe V Rotor
Progeny of African wild bee with domestic bee poses danger for their aggressive nature and poisonous sting.
The house sparrow (Passer), now cosmopolitan in distribution, invades homes, parks, farms, including high rise buildings. While it is pest in farms and gardens, it is also nature's housekeeper being predator and scavenger.
Organisms even when domesticated still carry their wild genes. What is the implication of this scientific fact?
I have known pets that bite their masters. There are wild animals even if they were taken cared of the movement they were born, turn out to be killers. The killer instinct is dictated by their genes that enabled them to survive in the wild. That is why it is not advisable to pet cubs of tigers and lions.
Certain plants exhibit wild traits, too. The white bean, bred to become bushy to facilitate cultivation and harvesting, may revert into its viny character to evade ground grazers. Patani or Lima bean when left uncultivated grows wild and fends itself from feeders by producing high tannin.
Here are specific cases to warn us of the dangers of animals becoming out of our control.
• The janitor fish, loved for its ability to clean the aquarium, for which it got its name, is now a pest in Laguna Bay, competing with the edible fish species, such as tilapia and carp.
• Golden kohol or golden snail, imported in the seventies to support the government’s food production program, has turned into a maverick, now the number one pest of rice. More than half of our total riceland (3.5 million hectares) is attacked by this mollusk every planting season.
• The deadly African bees continue to invade and hybridize with domestic bees in the US as well as in other places, transmitting in their genes of high aggressiveness and venom.
• Toad (Bufo marinus), imported for it its predatory habit useful in the biological control of insects has become a pest itself. Because of their poison glands, animals, such as snakes and eagles that feed on them die. They directly compete with other predatory animals. In Australia the toad introduced to control of sugarcane insect pests, has turned into a pest itself.
• Plant lice (Psyla) that wiped out the local ipil-ipil industry was actually introduced into the Philippines with foreign species (Hawaiian and Peruvian ) which we imported in the sixties.
• Erythrina or Dapdap gall wasp has virtually wiped out all over the country this beautiful indigenous tree that bears bright red flowers in summer. The wasp was introduced with the coral tree, a dwarf Erythrina introduced some years ago by local ornamental enthusiasts.
• There are reports of animals escaping from their confines and threatening our safety. At one time when I was accompanying my students on a field trip on Mt. Makiling, a plant nursery technician warned us to keep watch for cobra which allegedly escaped from the laboratory and reproduced with the local species.
• The tree ant, Oecephala smaragdina, allegedly a hybrid of an introduced species with our native hantik (ammimisay Ilk.), has become a nuisance. They build their nests in trees and bite when disturbed, making pruning, harvesting and other farm operations difficult.
. The thorny Opuntia which was introduced in Australia by plant enthusiasts, became a widespread problem of ranchers. It took another insect, a scale insects, to destroy the maverick cactus.
. A species of Caulerpa, similar to our lato or ar-arusip Ilk), has spread extensively on the ocean floor of the Mediterranean. Caulerpa produces caulerpin, for which its genus was named, which causes the death of fish and other marine organisms.
Next time you plan to introduce an animal or plant not native to the place, get the expert's advice. Get in touch with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and other research institutions. ~
54. Ecological Sanctuary Garden is a Microcosm of the Biosphere
Dr Abe V Rotor
The garden is Nature's laboratory. Students learn more by appreciating nature.
A pond such as this is required to keep the garden green throughout the year.
Passion flower is named after the three nail like stigma of the flower.
“To see a world in a grain of sandAnd heaven in a wild flower’Hold infinity in the palm of your handAnd Eternity in an hour.”- William Blake
This verse captures the essence of the title of this article. It condenses the universe into its elemental symbols from which we take a full view of the world we live in. It reduces the complexities and vastness of both the non-living and the living world into a microcosm that is complete in itself- a plantilla of creation all contained in the hand, and experienced within a lifetime.
Lucky is the person who realizes this singular gift. Through this microcosm he can traverse the breadth of time and space, live with the myriad of life forms, and most important, he is blessed by the Great Maker to be part of the wonders and mysteries of creation.
So deep is the faith of the poet, William Blake, who wrote this verse more than two hundred years ago. Then, there were no computers, no television, no spacecraft and satellites. Could it be that in the absence of these modern tools the mind could penetrate deeper, imagination soar higher, and faith stronger?
Garden as a Microcosm
The pocket garden of SPCQ could possibly be a place where Newton formulated the laws of gravity and magnetism when an apple fell on his head, where Darwin developed his theory of evolution through natural selection, Henry Fabre discovered organizational intelligence among insects over and above their instinctive behavior. Claude Monet’s masterpieces were painted in a garden, capturing the essence of the natural beauty of wild flowers, such as the Nymphaea and the lotus.
We may not expect inventions and discoveries and master’s arts to creep into the mind of whoever spends time in a garden, or any similar microcosm of nature for that matter. But we are most certain that he finds enlightenment through the knowledge and experience he gains, and with these he develops in himself the discipline to discover new things, acquire values that help him live at peace with nature and himself. It is in keeping close to nature that we better understand the ways of the world in which we live.
When I conducted a lecture-demonstration at the SPUQC Botanical Garden before my students in ecology, I was in effect simulating the scenario. Here I showed them the different parts of the garden, starting with the basics such as, “What makes a Garden?” I explained the composition of a typical rainforest biome, which the Philippines is a part. The garden is precisely a pocket representation of this ecosystem, and, by dissecting it, we are in effect looking into its profile.
Deciduous Nature of Trees in Tropical Rainforest
I gathered my students under a narra tree - Pterocarpus indicus. Trees belonging to the Dipterocarp group of family Leguminosae dominate the canopy of the tropical rainforest. Their leaves fall off completely at certain seasons so that the trees are bare for some time, thus allowing sunlight to penetrate and nourish the understory trees, ground plants, lianas and epiphytes. The floor becomes covered with litter that nourishes insect, earthworms, fungi and bacteria. These decompose the leaves into humus that ultimately becomes soil while supplying nutrients to different plants in the forest. Because the high precipitation throughout the year, the forest becomes lush and dense. The multi-story nature of the tropical rainforest makes it the richest biome in both diversity of species and number of inhabitants.
Gymnosperms and angiosperms
These are cone-bearing and flowering plants, respectively. Gymnosperms are exemplified by pine cypress, and arios. I allowed my student to touch and examine these plants. Then they turned to examine the angiosperms that predominate the campus. Phylogeny shows that flowering plants are more “ modern," which means that through evolution, the gymnosperms are older, and later gave way to the evolving angiosperms. Except in colder countries and in the taiga biome, the natural vegetation is made up of flowering plants.
False flowers
Nature’s sweet lies have a purpose. The brightly colored leaves of poinsettia and bougainvillea attract insect pollinators and enhance fertilization and subsequent fruit setting and seed formation, thus ensuring the perpetuation of the species. How many plants are benefited by this special make-up?
The truth is that most flowering plants have designed attraction mechanisms. In general, flowers are made attractive, although the attraction that we know may not be the same as how insects perceive it. We know red as red, yellow as yellow, and so forth. But insects have a different perception of colors. Nonetheless, the basic purpose is what counts - and is almost always achieved. Other means guarantee pollination-fertilization are sometimes needed. For example, insects are attracted by obnoxious odor like Lantana camara. This is also in the case of the kalumpang or bangar tree- and, of course, the Rafflesia, the world largest flower that emits putrefying odor. They have one thing in common: they attract flies to pollinate their flowers.
Flowering Bamboo- Prophet of doom
The old folks used to tell us, “Beware if the bamboo flowers”.
What is the connection of a flowering bamboo to a force majeure, such as drought? Climatologists around the globe have predicted that this year is El nino year. The last time phenomenon struck was in 1991 and 1992. The cycle is ten years, but is could closer. El nino is accompanied by poor harvest, forest fires, death of livestock, spread of certain diseases that effect man, animals and plants.
Biological, organisms subjected to stress tend to reach the reproductive stage earlier than usual. In fact, certain insects even skip molting just to be able to metamorphose into an adult and carry out reproduction, while the environment allows. It is nature’s way of insuring the perpetuation of the species at the expense of the organism, so to speak.
So, when a bamboo flowers it ultimately dies. This is why the panda, which exclusively derives its because of the death of bamboo’s once they have flowered!
There are other plants that signal the coming of drought. One is kapok. A fruit-laden kapok tree means poor against harvest ahead. Even the sturdy kamagong or mabolo is stressed by drought. While it stops producing new leaves, the crown remains intact. This could be the reason why this produces the hardest wood. In the case of the narra, and mango, they show no apparent stress signal. It is because they have sturdy, long taproots that penetrate deep into the ground and into the bedrock. Old folks, however, warm us that no plant is spared in the worst kind of drought. Many of them still remember.
Trees as sound and wind barriers
With the construction of the MRT tracks. Seedlings of molave and mahogany have been recently planted to augment the defense line.
In other countries windbreaks help reduces wind pressure. I saw the 10- row windbreak along the highway to the Beijing airport, the windbreak made agoho or Casuarina in Taiwan situated along the coastline to buffer winter wind. Woodlands along field boundaries in European countries serve the same purpose. These man-made forests are a source of many valuable products and serve as a natural habitat of wildlife. It is no wonder why the Hanging Garden of Babylon was one of the Wonders of the ancient World.
The Indian tree is an effective sound breaker because of its thick, cone- shaped crown. It has also another advantage, that is, it grows tall and straight so that several trees can be planted close to each other. Unfortunately city ordinance prohibit the planting of trees on the side walk outside of the school wall, other wise a thicker buffer zone of trees could be built between the MRT tracks and SPCQ.
Hantik Ants- Biological Control Agents
We saw five nests of the giant green tree ants or hantik. The older nests were built on the upper branches of alagao, while a newly built nest was on Ficus pseudopalma. It is not easy to trace which nest an ant belongs to, but each colony has a specific chemical signal called pheromone. This prevents them from fighting, and allows the colonies to co-exist with defined territories assigned to each colony. Scientist calls this territory a niche.
Dr. Sel Cabigan introduced a hantik colony many years ago, and since then the SCQ garden has not been without this predators. The hantik ant is a notorious killer of other insects this could be the reason why I have not seen any need to spray chemicals in the botanical garden. Hantik ant feed on grubs, caterpillar aphids, scale insects, and many others. They carry of morsels to their nest to feed their larvae. They scare organisms several times bigger than they. In fact, one who happens to get close to their domain is likely to get a bite or two, which is warning enough. But they do not hesitate to attack once they are threatened- or disturbed.
I demonstrated the ferocity of the hantik by crushing an ant. Sooner than expected other members came to the rescue and pheromone was immediately put to use in the coordination and division of work, and in the strategy of war.
Common Medicinal Plants
A botanical garden is not complete without a good collection of medicinal plants. Here I showed to my students some examples of medicinal plants with their uses, as follows:
1. Lagundi - fever and flu
2. Pandakaki - minor wound or cuts
3. 3.Oregano - sore throat and cough
4. Ikmo - mouth wash
5. Mountain tea - health drink
6. Guava - body odor and skin diseases
7. Pandan - beverage and food additive
8. Alagao - fever and cold
9. Avocado - diarrhea
10.Banana - kidney ailment
These are important things to know about medicinal plants, which I explained. These are:
1. There is no cure-all formula.
2. Do not follow self-medication
3. Consult a doctor before taking herbal medicine.
4. Herbal medicine should be independent of superstitious beliefs.
Poisonous plants
I showed my students poisonous plants growing in the garden. But why do we have poisonous plants around? I read in their faces.
First, there are plants, which, by the poisonous substance they contain are valuable as pesticides. Examples are neem tree, derris and makabuhay. These have been proved effective in controlling certain pests and disease of plants.
Studies have shown that neem, a native of India, has long been used as insecticide. It is widely used on field crops and against domestic pest like cockroaches, mosquitoes and bedbugs in many countries including the Philippines. Makabuhay has been determined to be effective against a wide range of rice pests and the application is very simple. Fresh stems and leaves are finely chopped and directly broadcast in lowland ricefields. The active principle is also very effective on golden kohol, a major pest of rice of the Philippines.
Derris is the source of commercial rotenone insecticide. Because it is botanical in origin, it is relatively safer than the chemical pesticides. The concentration of its poison is in its enlarged roots.
Two poisonous plants grow in the garden. In fact they grow wild and have been persistent for a number of years now. Castor bean contains refine, a very poisonous substance known to have been the cause of death of children prescribed to take castor oil as laxative. The other plant is Jatorpha curcas or tubang bakod. A few years ago are student from a Quezon City High School ate the seeds that taste like peanut. They were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Conclusion
The microcosm is far from complete. But it is the framework that is important, like the building replica of a dinosaur from pieces of recovered fossil. Knowledge is like that. It starts with principles, but, before that, one must be inspired and motivated to learn. There is no true learning unless one labors for it in some degree. Even frustration that may threaten learning itself, could be, at the end, a motivating factor, a challenge and test of what one is really made of. The Great Maker just gave us the Plantilla form which we follow the cause of learning and understanding.~
55. 30 pesticide-free vegetables.
How many can you identify?
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
In general, leafy vegetables (e.g. pechay) and fruit vegetables (e.g. tomato) receive more chemical spraying than do root (potato) and seed (mungo) vegetables. On the aspect of pesticide application, vegetables are classified into two: those that do not need spraying at all, and those which can not be raised economically without chemical protection. The most sprayed vegetables are the crucifers (cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, pechay, mustard, broccoli, other members of the family).
Assorted native vegetables: patani, himbaba-o, ampalaya, eggplant
Himbaba-o or alukong Ilk; papait (Mollugo oppositifolia)
Talinum, alugbati
Edible fern (pako'), saluyot
Home Gardening Campaign - The purpose of this article is to promote home gardening nationwide and worldwide in response to three crucial issues affecting our society today.
The first is to build natural body resistance against COVID-19 and other ailments like flu through the consumption of more fruits and vegetables.
The second is to promote a bottom-up approach of providing alternative sources of food through people's initiative to produce food and reduce food cost and increase the level of nutrition to cushion the effects of the worsening global economic crisis.
The third is to reduce the incidence of slow poisoning as a result of the accumulation of pesticide residue in the body. Vegetables and fruits are the principal carriers of residual poison from chemical spraying which leads to the development of many ailments, such as cancer and impairment of the senses and loss of control of the nervous system.
In general, leafy vegetables (e.g. pechay) and fruit (tomato) vegetables receive more chemical spraying than do root (potato) and seed (mungo) vegetables. On the aspect pesticides, I would rather classify vegetables into two: those that do not need spraying at all, and those which can not be raised economically without the protection of chemicals.
For the first category here is a list of 30 common vegetables in their common and scientific names. Farmers simply find them resistant to insects, mites, nematodes, snails, fungi, including weeds, rodents and birds. These vegetables may also be found in the wild, or in the open spaces.
1. Malunggay (Morinda oleifera)
2. Saluyot (Corchorus olitorius)
3. Wild ampalaya (Momordica charantia)
4. Katuray (Sesbania grandiflora)
5. Batao (Dolichos lablab)
6. Patani (Phaseolus lunatus)
7. Sinkamas (Pachyrisus erosus)
8. Summer squash (Cucurbita maxima)
9. Native eggplant (round) - (Solanum melongena)
10. Native tomato (susong kalabaw) - (Lycopersicum esculentum)
11. Native sitao (short) – (Vigna sesquipedalis)
12.Seguidillas (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)
13.Alugbati (Basella rubra)
14.Talinum (Talinum triangulare)
15.Native spinach (Amaranthus sp.)
16.Gulasiman (Portulaca oleracea)
17.Sweet potato (tops and root) (Ipomea batatas)
18. Kangkong (Ipomea reptans)
19. Pepper or Sili (labuyo) (Capsicum frutescens)
20. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
21. Rimas or breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
22. Sayote (Sechium edule)
23. Taro or gabi (Colocasia esculenta)
24. Kamoteng kahoy or cassava (Manihot esculenta)
25. Ubi (Dioscorea alata)
26. Tugui’ (Dioscorea esculenta)
27. Kadios (Cajanus cajan)
28. Banana (Saba) (Musa paradisiaca)
29. Sampaloc (Tamarindus indica)
30. Kamias (Averrhoa bilimbi)
There are many other vegetables classified under the same category. These include alukong or himababa-o, bagbagkong, papait, sampaloc (flowers, tips and young pods), flowers of madre de cacao or kakawate.
Reference:
Living with Nature Handbook
Copyright 2003 Abercio V Rotor and University of Santo Tomas
The second is to promote a bottom-up approach of providing alternative sources of food through people's initiative to produce food and reduce food cost and increase the level of nutrition to cushion the effects of the worsening global economic crisis.
The third is to reduce the incidence of slow poisoning as a result of the accumulation of pesticide residue in the body. Vegetables and fruits are the principal carriers of residual poison from chemical spraying which leads to the development of many ailments, such as cancer and impairment of the senses and loss of control of the nervous system.
In general, leafy vegetables (e.g. pechay) and fruit (tomato) vegetables receive more chemical spraying than do root (potato) and seed (mungo) vegetables. On the aspect pesticides, I would rather classify vegetables into two: those that do not need spraying at all, and those which can not be raised economically without the protection of chemicals.
For the first category here is a list of 30 common vegetables in their common and scientific names. Farmers simply find them resistant to insects, mites, nematodes, snails, fungi, including weeds, rodents and birds. These vegetables may also be found in the wild, or in the open spaces.
2. Saluyot (Corchorus olitorius)
3. Wild ampalaya (Momordica charantia)
4. Katuray (Sesbania grandiflora)
5. Batao (Dolichos lablab)
6. Patani (Phaseolus lunatus)
7. Sinkamas (Pachyrisus erosus)
8. Summer squash (Cucurbita maxima)
9. Native eggplant (round) - (Solanum melongena)
10. Native tomato (susong kalabaw) - (Lycopersicum esculentum)
11. Native sitao (short) – (Vigna sesquipedalis)
12.Seguidillas (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)
13.Alugbati (Basella rubra)
14.Talinum (Talinum triangulare)
15.Native spinach (Amaranthus sp.)
16.Gulasiman (Portulaca oleracea)
17.Sweet potato (tops and root) (Ipomea batatas)
18. Kangkong (Ipomea reptans)
19. Pepper or Sili (labuyo) (Capsicum frutescens)
20. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
21. Rimas or breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
22. Sayote (Sechium edule)
23. Taro or gabi (Colocasia esculenta)
24. Kamoteng kahoy or cassava (Manihot esculenta)
25. Ubi (Dioscorea alata)
26. Tugui’ (Dioscorea esculenta)
27. Kadios (Cajanus cajan)
28. Banana (Saba) (Musa paradisiaca)
29. Sampaloc (Tamarindus indica)
30. Kamias (Averrhoa bilimbi)
There are many other vegetables classified under the same category. These include alukong or himababa-o, bagbagkong, papait, sampaloc (flowers, tips and young pods), flowers of madre de cacao or kakawate.
This article was aired in a series of radio broadcast as lesson on Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) on DZRB 738 KHZ and [www.pbs.gov.ph] This also served as reference in Economic Botany, a three-unit subject offered at the UST Graduate School and DLSU-D where the author taught biology and ecology.
Living with Nature Handbook
Copyright 2003 Abercio V Rotor and University of Santo Tomas
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