Due to conservation and rehabilitation efforts, mangrove forests represent some of the largest environmental niches in Malaysia. However, there is little information on the potential risks posed by mosquitoes that are directly and indirectly associated with mangrove forests. To study the potential health risk to humans active within and in close vicinity of mangrove forests, this research focused on the day biting habits of mosquitoes in mangrove forests of Kedah, Malaysia. The bare leg catch (BLC) method was used to collect adult mosquitoes during a 12-h period from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in both disturbed and less disturbed areas of mangroves. In total, 795 adult mosquitoes from 5 genera and 8 species were collected, and over 65% of the total mosquitoes were collected from the less disturbed area. The predominant species from the less disturbed area was Verrallina butleri; in the disturbed area the dominant species was Culex sitiens. The peak biting hour differed for each species, with Aedes albopictus and Cx. sitiens recorded as having a bimodal biting activity peak during dawn and dusk. For Ve. butleri an erratic pattern of biting activity was recorded in the less disturbed area but it peaked during the early daytime for both collection points. Overall, the distinct pattern of day biting habits of mosquitoes within mangroves peaked during dawn and dusk for the less disturbed area but was irregular for the disturbed area throughout the day. The presence of vectors of pathogens such as Ae. albopictus for both areas raises the need for authorities to consider management of mosquitoes in mangrove forests.

To date, documentation of the diversity of orchids from the limestone hills in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in the states of Kedah and Perak, is still lacking, with limited literature available. There is indeed an urgent need to fill this knowledge gap, so that proper documentation of the diversity of orchids from this unique karst habitat can be prepared. In this study, a series of 12 months of diversity assessments on five limestone hills in Kedah and Perak has resulted in the discovery of 56 orchid species from 37 genera. From this account, 12 species are new records within Kedah and 2 species are new records within Malaysia, namely Bulbophyllum meson J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel and Luisia brachystachys (Lindl.) Blume. Three species are endemic to Peninsular Malaysia which are Anoectochilus sanguineus P.T.Ong & P.O’Byrne, Cheirostylis goldschmidtiana Schltr. and Phalaenopsis appendiculata Carr. Findings of two keystone species, the long-lost Cheirostylis goldschmidtiana and the endangered snow-white slipper orchid, Paphiopedilum niveum (Rchb.f.) Stein, have catalyzed the need for a more comprehensive study to unveil the species richness and endemism within a limestone habitat. Heat maps using geographical data produced from ArcGIS software have enabled precise determination of the areas with the highest concentration of orchid diversity. Results from this study have shown that Gunung Fakir Terbang houses the greatest number of orchid species, followed by Gunung Batu Putih and Gunung Baling. Meanwhile, lower species occurrences were recorded from Gunung Pulai and Gunung Pong. However, lack of attention and delayed conservation action on this unique karst habitat would only lead to more habitat loss, leading to the decline of limestone orchid populations. Orchids as well as other plants are threatened by anthropogenic activity such as quarrying and forest clearing for agriculture. Thus, the results of this study will serve as baseline data for future work in documenting and conserving limestone orchids and their karst habitat in northern Peninsular Malaysia.

This study focuses on the Pteroptyx tener species in the Sepetang River, Malaysia, aiming to evaluate the firefly’s abundance and explore its correlation with various biotic and abiotic parameters. The study was conducted over six months, from November 2021 to April 2022, utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) software to apply hotspot mapping and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) analysis to elucidate the spatial distribution of firefly populations. A total of 111,615 individuals were recorded, with a particular focus on this firefly species’ presence on their display trees. Hotspot analysis showed that Station 6, located at the mouth of a river with dense mangroves, hosted 55,723 fireflies (50.01%). In contrast, Stations 9 and 10, near ponds and shrimp settlements, recorded 517–723 fireflies (0.65% and 0.46%). Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) unveiled a statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.88, p < 0.05) between wind speed and the abundance of firefly populations within the Sepetang River. However, no statistically significant correlation (p > 0.05) was found between firefly abundance and various other abiotic parameters, including relative humidity (RH), air temperature, tide level, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and water clarity. Thus, the results revealed the preference for fireflies due to the availability of vegetation, wind speed and minimal disturbance in this area. In conclusion, this study’s information significantly adds to our understanding of these interesting insects and their complicated relationships in nature. It underscores the importance of preserving their habitats and ecosystems.

Artikel tinjauan ini memuatkan ulasan yang merujuk kajian terdahulu berkenaan perkembangan aktiviti ekopelancongan kelip-kelip di Malaysia. Ekopelancongan kelip-kelip menjadikan elemen serangga sebagai produk untuk menarik minat para pelancong untuk melihat keindahan alam semulajadi serangga yang sudah mula diperkenalkan sejak tahun 1980-an lagi. Ekopelancongan kelip-kelip ini bukan sahaja unik namun memberi manfaat daripada aspek ekonomi dan sosial kepada komuniti setempat. Kajian terdahulu yang menunjukkan ekopelancongan kelip-kelip memberi manfaat positif kepada komuniti setempat melalui penyediakan peluang pekerjaan, pendapatan sampingan komuniti, menyumbang kepada kesejahteraan sosial, dan mewujudkan peluang perniagaan. Artikel ini akan menyorot kajian terdahulu berkaitan kesan aktiviti ekopelancongan kelip-kelip seluruh semenanjung Malaysia terhadap komuniti setempat. Artikel ini mengulas sokongan komuniti yang diberikan melalui penglibatan secara langsung dan tidak langsung dalam aktiviti ekopelancongan kelip-kelip melalui penyediaan perkhidmatan untuk pengunjung dan memberi kerjasama dalam usaha mengekalkan persekitaran semulajadi paya bakau yang merupakan habitat bagi spesis serangga ini bagi memastikan ekopelancongan ini dapat diteruskan untuk jangka masa panjang. Hasil ulasan dan tinjauan dalam artikel ini sesuai dijadikan rujukan dan panduan bagi pengkaji yang menjalankan kajian berkaitan perkembangan aktiviti ekopelancongan kelip-kelip di Semenanjung Malaysia secara menyeluruh.

HRMARS is well established journal publisher based in Pakistan. It is publishing prominent journals in social sciences since 2011.