Probable distribution of Pachyrhynchus sibuyanensis

[Main] [Weevils of PH] [Genus Pachyrhynchus]

Pachyrhynchus sibuyanensis Rukmane, 2019

Distribution

Figure 1. Color plates (artistic renditions) of female and male P. sibuyanensis (left), and map of the Philippine archipelago showing the island where specimens were said to be collected (right) based on one article published in 2019 [1].

Luzon

Region: MIMAROPA

• Province of Romblon
• Sibuyan island

Figure 2. Summary of data on P. sibuyanensis in video presentation format.

Comments on Locality Data

The province of Romblon has 7 main islands namely Tablas, Sibuyan, Corcuera, Banton, Concepcion, San Jose (also known as Carabao island), and Romblon [4].

Figure 3. Image from Google Maps [5] of the province of Romblon showing its islands Concepcion (1), Banton (2), Corcuera (3), Tablas (4), Romblon (5), Sibuyan (6), and San Jose (7).

The paper [1] focuses its discussion mainly on Sibuyan island. In fact, the etymology for P. sibuyanensis says "This new species is named after Sibuyan Island which is the only known locality of this new species" (page 44, reference 1). This seems to emphasize that all specimens collected were from Sibuyan island only.

Looking at the data presented under Results and Discussion, the holotype (specimen 000065431) and one male paratype (specimen 000065432) have localities labeled as "PHILIPPINES /ROMBLON /" (page 42, reference 1). Both of these specimens were collected in 1984. The other two paratypes (specimens 000065434 and 000065433) have localities labeled as "SIBUYAN / L. ROMBLON" (page 42, reference 1). Both of these paratypes were collected in 1982.

Knowing that the province of Romblon is an archipelago and has an island also called Romblon, it is very important to clarify that the locality labels for specimens 000065431 (holotype) and 000065432 refer to Romblon province as a whole inclusive of Sibyuan and not Romblon island in particular. If they were actually from Romblon island, then claims of its uniqueness to Sibuyan island might be erroneous.

There are several places in the Philippines that have similar names. Names of the provinces may also be the name of a city or municipality (example: Batangas Province and Batangas City, Cebu Province and Cebu City, the Davao provinces and Davao City). In other cases, the name of a mountain may also be the name of a municipality (example: Baco).

In the introduction part, the paper [1] claims that "According to geological data, the island has never been connected with any part of the Philippine archipelago, which makes its beetle fauna especially interesting" (page 42, reference 1). This statement makes it even more important to present accurate locality data. In the absence of actual comprehensive scientific field work in the area, there is a possibility that specimens 000065431 (holotype) and 000065432 may have been collected in Romblon island. This is because their collection was done in a different year than the other two specimens (000065434 and 000065433) which have "Sibuyan" actually specified as the locality. Additional data such as the name of the collector would have been helpful, as in the case of Celebia iligana.

Since the paper seems to have a strong conviction that all collections were from Sibuyan island by declaring the distribution to be Sibuyan island only, presenting any definitive provenance related to the specimens would have been appropriate. This could possibly be either the original collector's field notes or other documents from those years that strongly prove the locality data presented. If there is such provenance, it is unfortunately not disclosed in the paper. A thorough discussion on the locality data could have eliminated doubt on its accuracy.

Collection permits issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) such as Wildlife Gratuitous Permit (WGP), Local Transport Permit (LTP), or Wildlife Export Certification (WEC) could help in the verification of the localities. Unfortunately, the collection was made before the enactment of Republic Act 9147. At that time, WGP was not required. The next best thing to ensure that locality data is accurate is to disclose provenance if available. On the bright side, the lack of accurate locality data presents a good scientific research opportunity to verify if P. sibuyanensis exists in both islands of Sibuyan and Romblon, with DENR permits serving as provenance this time.

Other Related Insights

Aside from the locality data, the paper [1] also made an interesting statement. The paper stated that "...beetles of the genus Pachyrhynchus remain commercial, 21st century collections are created mainly from the material bought from the local collectors" (page 41, reference 1). This statement may not be representative of legitimate, well-established museums, especially in Europe. If such statement is true, however, this is quite a disturbing revelation.

Interestingly, another paper published in 2019 also made a statement saying "Mount Apo, the type locality of P. elenae, is one of the most famous localities for insect trading in the Philippines. The holotype of P. elenae, whose collector is unidentified, was most probably mislabeled during the commercial distribution process" (page 198, reference 2). Mt. Apo is one of the declared national parks in the country, protected by Republic Act No. 9237 of 2003. Published scientific papers saying something like this automatically raises many alarms.

Although the papers (references 1 and 2) did not specifically indicate the sources of the information, they may have some basis since these statements were confidently published in peer-reviewed journals. This might be something that the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) and the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) may need to look into. It may be important to review some "scientific" papers to investigate who might be involved in such commercial activity, who these local collectors might be, who might be sending them abroad, and who might be the buyers.

Scientists have already pointed out the dangers and worrisome effects of illegal wildlife collection for the purpose of trading, especially beetles. According to one scientist, "...beetles are being poached, killed and preserved, and then bought online by collectors" (paragraph 16, reference 3). Another scientist also warned about the effect of poaching, pointing out that "When you combine poaching with the rate at which the country is logging, mining, and converting forests into plantations, the outlook is worrisome for some of the rarest species... Some of them will probably be gone in the next five to ten years if we don't do something about it." (last 2 paragraphs of reference 3).

Legitimate local researchers and scientists do not condone illegal acts. They abide by the laws, rules, and regulations mandated by RA 9147 for the conservation of Philippine wildlife. For more information on how to conduct wildlife research in the Philippines, click here.

References:

[1] Rukmane A. 2019. To the knowledge of genus Pachyrhynchus Germar, 1824 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Pachyrhynchini) species from SMNH (Stockholm, Sweden), with description of a new species from the Sibuyan Island (Philippines). Baltic. J. Coleopterol., 19(1): 41 - 50.

[2] Yoshitake, H., Bollino, M., and Sandel, F. 2019. Pachyrhynchus elenae Rukmane, 2016, a new synonym of Pachyrhynchus phaleratus Waterhouse, 1841 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae). Zootaxa, 4585 (1): 197-200

[3] Bittel, Jason. 2019. Dazzling new mimic beetle found, may already be under threat. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/jewel-weevils-philippines-beetles-discovery/

[4] DILG Romblon. http://mimaropa.dilg.gov.ph/dilg-romblon/

[5] Google Maps. Romblon Province. https://goo.gl/maps/4UXsKtzfmXnCdQgU6

[Main] [Weevils of PH] [Genus Pachyrhynchus]