Preliminary study on the diversity of Orthoptera from Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre, Brunei Darussalam, Borneo

Abstract

The Orthoptera, comprising grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids, is diverse and species rich in tropical Southeast Asia, including the island of Borneo. However, not every part of Southeast Asia is equally well sampled and studied. This includes Brunei Darussalam, specifically at the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre (KBFSC) within the Ulu Temburong National Park. We present here an annotated and illustrated checklist of Orthoptera from the primary dipterocarp forest around Kuala Belalong based on three field trips in 2016 and 2017. We provide notes on their taxonomy (including how each species was identified) and natural history of species. In total, 72 species were recorded, representing eight of the 16 monophyletic orthopteran superfamilies. In total, 73.6% of all species recorded were singletons and doubletons, indicating that many species are probably rare. The collection led to the discovery of ten species new to science already published separately, with more expected to be described from pending material and confirmation. More species, including undescribed ones (at least four new species), are expected with continued sampling effort. Despite the 21 day-long surveying efforts from three trips around KBFSC, we believe that the species list provided here is non-exhaustive and only a preliminary one.