RESUMEN
The cosmopolitan terrestrial slug, Deroceraslaeve (O. F. Müller, 1774), is reported in the Philippines for the first time and characterized through morphology, morphometrics, and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene analysis. Slug samples were recovered from two administrative regions in Mindanao, Philippines. In Region X, there were two sites: Misamis Oriental (Gingoog, 664 m a.s.l.; Claveria, 937 m a.s.l.) with farms planted with cabbage (Brassicaoleracea), radish (Raphanussativus), and eggplant (Solanummelongena); and Bukidnon (Talakag, 1410 m a.s.l.) planted with cabbage. In Region XI, specimens were collected from potted ornamentals in five nurseries along the Kapatagan road, Davao del Sur, 1000-1200 m a.s.l. The external morphology of the specimens matched the published descriptions, and their identity was further confirmed by their partial COI sequences. The obtained COI sequence of the specimen in Region X showed 99-100% similarity with the voucher specimens from Mexico (KX959495, KX959496, KX959497, KX959498, and KX495499); while that of the specimen from Region XI is 100% identical to specimens collected from Japan (MW507142), Canada (MT680918 and MT941436), UK (KF894311), and Vietnam (MT941435 and MT941436). Moreover, D.laeve from Region X and Region XI shared 98% similarity with each other. Preliminary surveys show that slug occurrence is prevalent mainly in highland regions of the southern Philippines where specialty crops/high value crops like vegetables and ornamentals are cultivated. Further surveys are essential to confirm any damage that they may cause, their distribution, associated parasites, and pest status in the Philippines.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The Sto. Niño site in Benguet province, Philippines was once a mining area that has now been transformed into an agricultural land. In this area, there has been significant integration of the three indigenous people (IPs) Ibaloi, Kankanaeys and Kalanguyas with the Ilocano community. These IPs safeguard biodiversity and traditional knowledge, including medicinal plant use. However, the documentation of these plant species and their medicinal applications has not been systematic, with the resultant loss of knowledge across generations. This study aims to document the medicinal and ritual plants used by the indigenous communities at the site, in order to preserve and disseminate traditional medicinal knowledge that would otherwise be lost. METHODS: Ethnobotanical data were collected in Sto. Niño, Brgy. Ambassador, Municipality of Tublay, Benguet, Philippines, and collected through semi-structured interviews, together with focus group discussions (FGD). A total of 100 residents (39 male and 61 female) were interviewed. Among them, 12 were key interviewees, including community elders and farmers, while the rest were selected through the convenience and snowball technique. Demographic information collected from the interviewees included age, gender, and occupation. Ethnobotanical information collected focused on medicinal plants, including the specific parts of plants used, methods of preparation, modes of treatment, and the types of ailments treated. Ethnobotanical quantitative indices of the relative frequency of citations (RFC) and informant consensus factor (ICF) were calculated to evaluate the plant species that were utilized by the community. RESULTS: A total of 28 medicinal plants from 20 different families and 6 ritual plants from 5 different families were documented. Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae (10.71%) family are the most mentioned medicinal plant species, followed by Myrtaceae and Euphorbiaceae (7.14%). The most widely used growth form were herbs (46.4%), while leaves (61.5%) were the most utilized plant part, and the preparation of a decoction (62.2%) was the most preferred method of processing and application. The medicinal plants were most commonly utilized for wound-healing, cough and colds, stomachache and kidney trouble, whereas ritual plants were largely used for healing, protection, and funeral ceremonies. CONCLUSION: This study marks the first report on the medicinal and ritual plants used by a group of indigenous communities in Sto. Niño, Brgy. Ambassador, Tublay, Benguet Province. The data collected show that plant species belonging to the Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae family were the most mentioned and should be further evaluated by pharmacological analysis to assess their wider use for medicinal treatment.
RESUMEN
A new species of the genus Synoecnema-S. watinagii sp. n.-is described and illustrated. The species is characterized by its small size, lack of sexual dimorphism apart from sexual characters, males with pericloacal disk, females with anterior vulva position and lacking an anus, and similar caudal organs in both sexes in the shape of long, deep slits on the surface of the posterior half of body. Sequences of D2-D3 LSU and SSU rDNA and SEM images were obtained for the first time for the genus Synoecnema. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences supported the validity of the genus and elucidated its relationships within Synoecneminae and Drilonematoidea. The earthworm host was characterized by its CoxI mt DNA sequence.