OPEN CALLS
GTI capacity development project(s) of Constant Jérôme, Limbourg Pol, Grootaert Patrick and Hendrickx Frederik
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Jerome9_field

A step further in the Entomodiversity of Vietnam

(part I – ongoing)

  • Project promotor(s): Constant Jérôme, Limbourg Pol, Grootaert Patrick and Hendrickx Frederik

Project details

  • Years

    2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021

  • Country

    Vietnam

  • Studied organism

    Arthropods - Insects: Animalia – Arthropoda – Insecta – Coleoptera/ Hemiptera/ Lepidoptera/ Phasmatodea

  • Organising institute (Belgium)

    Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

  • Partner institute (South)

Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) – Department of Insect Systematics – Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and Vietnam National Museum of Nature (VNMN)

Although Vietnam is part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, its insect fauna is still extremely poorly documented, with an estimate of only 10–20% of the Vietnamese insect species being described so far. The situation is similar or even worse in neighboring countries including Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. This lack of taxonomic knowledge and expertise was identified as the “taxonomic impediment” during the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity. This strongly hampers the work and decisions of conservationists, ecologists, biodiversity scientists, lawmakers, and many others who rely heavily on taxonomic information to manage, conserve, use, and share our biodiversity.

In general, the proposed GTI project aims to contribute to filling this gap by (i) providing taxonomic expertise in the study of several insect groups, (ii) providing training to Vietnamese colleagues in taxonomy both in the lab and in the field, (iii) providing species lists to the authorities of protected areas to help in their management, (iv) organizing symposia on taxonomy and insect diversity in Vietnam and (v) providing communication material on Vietnamese insect diversity.

More specifically, the project aims to develop knowledge and study Vietnamese entomofauna via two main axes:

(1) Collection, identification and inventory of several target groups (e.g., Hemiptera Cicadidae, Fulgoridae, Eurybrachidae, Heteroptera Pentatomidae, Phasmida, Lepidoptera Saturniidae and Coleoptera Rutelinae, Sericinae and Lucanidae) in:

    • Cuc Phuong National Park, Tam Dao National Park, Melinh Biodiversity Station and Pia Oac Nature Reserve (2010 project);
    • Da Krong Nature Reserve and Bach Ma National Park, while two other national parks in Northern Vietnam (Cuc Phuong and Tam Dao) will be re-sampled due to their high biodiversity potential detected in 2010 (2011 project);
    • Con Dao National Park, Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve and Cat Tien National Park (2012 project);
    • Hoang Lien National Park, Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve and Cat Ba National Park (2013 project);
    • Bidoup-Nui Ba, Phuoc Binh and Nui Chua National parks (2014 project);
    • Ba Vi National Park, Ba Be National Park, Cham Chu Nature Reserve and Me Linh Biodiversity Station, representing poorly known areas of high biodiversity potential and of high interest for understanding zoogeography and estimate species richness in one of our focus groups: stick insects (2015 project);
    • Muong Nhe, Copia and Ngo Luong Nature Reserves and Cuc Phuong National Park, representing very poorly known areas of high biodiversity potential and of high interest for understanding zoogeography and estimate species richness in two of our focus groups: stick insects and cicadas (2016 project);
    • Northern (Pu Mat National Park and Ke Go Nature Reserve) and central (Ba Na-Nui Chua Nature Reserve) parts of Central Vietnam, a very poorly documented area of high interest for understanding zoogeography and estimate species richness in two of our focus groups: stick insects and cicadas (2017 project);
    • Central Vietnam, on the Pleiku Plateau, at three locations: Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve and Chu Mom Ray National Park (very poorly documented area in terms of entomological fauna and of high interest for research on stick insects and cicadas) (2018 project);
    • Dray Sap, Ta Dung National Park, Chu Yang Sin National Park and Kon Plong Protected Forest (Central Vietnam) (2019 project);

 

Vietnamese members of the staff will receive training in some field collecting techniques and identification routines. All participants will be trained to general entomological collecting and to specific collecting of the groups studied by the other members of the staff in order to reach the best team-efficiency during fieldwork.

 

(2) Improvement of the entomological collections, of the collections management and of the study of the material preserved at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) and the Vietnam National Museum of Nature (VNMN). Environmental conditions, including insect pest management, as well as structural and staff organization, will be evaluated. If necessary, pragmatic solutions will be proposed, such as the purchase and installation of a great capacity freezer to allow preservation of unmounted material and disinfection of parasitized material (IEBR, 2011). One of the challenges will also be to curate and study the great amount of unmounted material which for sure contains a high number of new species. This issue will be evaluated and efforts will be made to rethink organization and working methods if necessary.

The objective is to develop in IEBR and VNMN a modern reference collection of national, regional and international importance, using the best international standards, and to provide material allowing state-of-the-art mounting and study of the specimens.

Files and additional information

 Video about the fieldwork and some preliminary results of the 2019 GTI project expedition to Chu Yang Sin National Park, based on footage taken by the GTI participants and posted on the RBINS Youtube channel

 Policy Brief produced as a result of a GTI uptake meeting in Hanoi & Cuc Phuong National Park on the collaboration between entomologists from RBINS and VNMN (April 2017; download the report of the meeting here). The Policy Brief is aimed at promoting the cooperation between taxonomic researchers and managers of protected areas for a better integration of scientific data to improve the protection of Vietnam’s biodiversity. Besides RBINS and VNMN, international experts from Cambodia (Royal Phnom Penh University), France (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle), and Italy (Natural History Museum) participated in the elaboration of the document.

 Presentation about the Policy Brief

 “ER WAS EENS/ONCE UPON A TIME”, a six-episode documentary series about RBINS and its scientists that was broadcasted by Canvas (VRT) in 2018 (this GTI project was promoted in one of the episodes)

 Poster prepared to be sent to relevant authorities/National Parks illustrating, amongst others, the entomofauna that has been described based on material previously sampled in the park/reserve; this poster, as well as others, is aimed to be presented at the visitors centres to raise awareness about biodiversity and the importance of the protected areas for the conservation of local, unique species

 Presentation about the origin and progress of this Vietnam GTI project

 Slide show of an expedition to the Ba Vi National Park

 Presentation on taxonomic and entomological research that was used as teaching material

 Short film from the field showing a female stick insect laying an ootheca (i.e., a complex egg case)

Scientific papers

Bank, S., Buckley, T. R., Büscher, T. H., Bresseel, J., Constant, J., de Haan, M., Dittmar, D., Dräger, H., Kahar, R. S., Kang, A., Kneubühler, B., Langton‐Myers, S. S., and Bradler, S. (2021). Reconstructing the nonadaptive radiation of an ancient lineage of ground‐dwelling stick insects (Phasmatodea: Heteropterygidae). Syst. Entomol. (2021), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12472 Cumming, R. T., Bank, S., Bresseel, J., Constant, J., Le Tirant, S., Dong, Z., Sonet, G., and Bradler, S. (2021). Cryptophyllium, the hidden leaf insects – descriptions of a new leaf insect genus and thirteen species from the former celebicum species group (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae). ZooKeys 1018, 1–179. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1018.61033 Constant, J., and Jiaranaisakul, K. (2021). The Oriental lanternfly Pyrops itoi (Satô & Nagai, 1994): New synonymy and distribution records (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae). Belg. J. Entomol. 110, 1–14. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2021 Ingrisch, S. (2021). New species and records of the genus Lipotactes (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Lipotactinae) from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. J. Orthoptera Res. 31, 51–65. https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.30.58095 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2020). Microrestes gen. nov., a new genus in the Oriental stick insect tribe Datamini Rehn & Rehn, 1939 with a new species and a new combination (Phasmida: Heteropterygidae: Dataminae). Belg. J. Entomol. 106, 1–19. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2020 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2020). The new stick insect genus Pterulina gen. nov., a second winged Clitumninae genus from Vietnam with a new combination and a new species (Phasmida, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Clitumnini). Belg. J. Entomol. 96, 1–30. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2020 Constant, J., and Jiaranaisakula, K. (2020). A strikingly coloured new species of Hemisphaerius Schaum, 1850 from Thailand (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 98, 1–16. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2020 Constant, J., and Pham, T. H. (2020). Sogana cysana sp. nov., a new tropiduchid planthopper from Chu Yang Sin National Park in Vietnam and key to Vietnamese species of the genus (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 95, 1–13. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2020 Pham, T. H., and Constant, J. (2020). The cicada genus Megapomponia Boulard, 2005 from Laos, with description of a new species (Hemiptera: Cicadidae). North-Western. J. Zool. 16, 102–105. Pimvichai, P., Akkari, N., Semenyuk, I., Constant, J., and Enghoff, H. (2020). A strikingly coloured new giant millipede from Vietnam has copycat in Borneo (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Harpagophoridae). Eur. J. Taxon. 722, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.722.1129 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2019). The new Oriental stick insect genus Baculomia gen. nov. with two new species from Vietnam including the first stick insect feeding on sugarcane (Phasmida, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Clitumnini). Belg. J. Entomol. 87, 1–25. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2019 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2019). Polydictya lanternflies of the Indochinese region: Six new species and identification key (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae). Belg. J. Entomol. 86, 1–42. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2019 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2019). The planthopper genus Sogana Matsumura, 1914 in Vietnam: Two new species, new records and identification key (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 85, 1–19. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2019 Ingrisch, S. (2019). Review of the genus Pteranabropsis (Anostostomatidae: Anabropsinae) with description of six new species. J. Orthoptera Res. 28, 107–124. https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.28.32182 Pham, H. T., Nguyen, T. H., and Constant, J. (2019). First record of the cicadas genus Orientopsaltria Kato, 1944 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam, with description of one new species. Zootaxa 4603, 575–582. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4603.3.10 Pham, T. H., Sanborn, A. F., Nguyen, H. T., and Constant, J. (2019). A new species and first record of the cicada genus Sinotympana Lee, 2009 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Dundubiini) from Vietnam. Zootaxa 4664, 565–573. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4664.4.8 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2018). Two new stick insect genera from Vietnam, Nuichua gen. nov. and Pterohirasea gen. nov. with two new species (Phasmida: Diapheromeridae: Necrosciinae). Belg. J. Entomol. 70, 1–29. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2018 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2018). The Oriental stick insect genus Orestes Redtenbacher, 1906: Taxonomical notes and six new species from Vietnam (Phasmida: Heteropterygidae: Dataminae). Belg. J. Entomol. 58, 1–62. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2018 Constant, J., and Bresseel, J. (2018). New synonymy and new records in the stick insect genus Medauromorpha Bresseel & Constant, 2017 (Phasmida, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae). Belg. J. Entomol. 76, 1–11. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2018 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2018). Extension of the lanternfly genus Neoalcathous Wang & Huang, 1989 to Vietnam with a new species and new subfamily placement (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae). Belg. J. Entomol. 59, 1–11. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2018 Tomasovic, G., and Constant, J. (2018). Two new species of robber fly in the genus Saropogon Loew, 1847 from Southeast Asia (Diptera: Asilidae). Bulletin srbe-kbve 153, 219–225. www.srbe-kbve.be Vanslembrouck, A., and Constant, J. (2018). Two new species of Tetricodes Fennah, 1956 from Northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 77, 1–13. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2018 Vermeersch, X. H. C. (2018). Phasmomantella gen. nov., a spectacular new genus of praying mantis from southern Central Vietnam (Mantodea, Mantidae, Deroplatyinae, Euchomenellini). Eur. J. Taxon. 442, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2018.442 Vermeersch, X. H. C. (2018). Euchomenella adwinae sp. nov., a small stick mantis from southern Central Vietnam (Mantodea: Mantidae: Deroplatyinae: Euchomenellini). Belg. J. Entomol. 63, 1–9. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2018 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2017). The Picasso stick insect. A striking new species of Calvisia from Vietnam with notes on captive breeding and new methods for incubation of eggs (Phasmida: Diapheromeridae: Necrosciinae). Belg. J. Entomol. 46, 1–18. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2017 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2017). The new stick insect genus Medauromorpha gen. nov. with one new species from Vietnam and notes on Medauroidea Zompro, 2000 (Phasmida: Phasmatidae: Clitumninae). Belg. J. Entomol. 45, 1–38. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2017 Bresseel, J., and Vermeersch, X. H. C. (2017). The first record of the genus Olcinia Stål, 1877 from Cambodia and Vietnam with the description of two new species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae: Cymatomerini). Belg. J. Entomol. 56, 1–16. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2017 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2017). Indochinese Polydictya lanternflies: Two new species from Vietnam, identification key and notes on P. vietnamica (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae). Eur. J. Entomol. 114, 279–290. http://dx.doi.org/10.14411/eje.2017.034 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2017). First record of the sharpshooter leafhopper genus Sphinctogonia Breddin, 1901 in Vietnam (Hemiptera: Membracoidea: Cicadellidae). Bulletin srbe-kbve 153, 139–142. www.srbe-kbve.be Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2017). Review of the clavatus group of the lanternfly genus Pyrops (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae). Eur. J. Taxon. 305, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2017.305 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2017). Gergithoides Schumacher, 1915 in Vietnam, with two new species, and taxonomic notes on the genus (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae). Eur. J. Taxon. 296, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2017.296 Pham, H. T., and Constant, J. (2017). A new genus and species of Cicada from Vietnam: Cochleopsaltria duffelsi gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadidae). Bulletin srbe-kbve 153, 226–230. www.srbe-kbve.be Tomasovic, G., and Constant, J. (2017). Notes on Oriental Asilidae with six new species from Vietnam (Diptera: Brachycera). Belg. J. Entomol. 47, 1–23. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2017 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2016). Maculergithus, a new subgenus in Gergithus Schumacher, 1915 with two new species from northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae). Eur. J. Taxon. 198, 1–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2016.198 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2016). Two new Nogodinidae from Vietnam in the genera Orthophana Melichar, 1923 and Goniopsarites Meng, Wang & Wang, 2014 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Nogodinidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 40, 1–16. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2016 Pham, H. T., Hong, B. M., and Constant, J. (2016). The cicada genus Macrosemia Kato, 1925 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam, with the description of a new species and key to species. TAP CHI SINH HOC 38, 316–323. https://doi.org/10.15625/0866-7160/v38n3.6632 Vallotto, J., Bresseel, J., Constant, J., and Gottardo, M. (2016). Morphology of the terminalia of the stick insect Dajaca napolovi from Vietnam (Insecta: Phasmatodea). Entomol. Sci. 19, 376–382. https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.12209 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2015). The new genus of stick insect Lobofemora from Vietnam, with the description of three new species (Phasmida: Phasmatidae: Clitumnini). Eur. J. Taxon. 115, 1–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2015.115 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2015). Two new species of the genus Neogergithoides Sun, Meng & Wang, 2012 extend its distribution to Northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 33, 1–15. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2015 Goldberg, J., Bresseel, J., Constant, J., Kneubühler, B., Leubner, F., Michalik, P., and Bradler, S. (2015). Extreme convergence in egg-laying strategy across insect orders. Sci. Rep. 5: 7825, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep07825 Pham, H. T., Lee, Y. J., and Constant, J. (2015). Cicada genus Pomponia Stål, 1866 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam and Cambodia, with a new species, a new record, and a key to the species. Zootaxa 3925, 562–572. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3925.4.5 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2014). Giant Sticks from Vietnam and China, with three new taxa including the second longest insect known to date (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Pharnaciini). Eur. J. Taxon. 104, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2014.104 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2014). A new species of Macrodaruma Fennah, 1978 from northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 22, 1–8. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2014 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2014). A new species of Orthophana Melichar, 1923 from Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Nogodinidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 23, 1–8. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2014 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2014). A new species of Paricanoides Liang, 2003 from Northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae). Belg. J. Entomol. 24, 1–9. http://www.srbe-kbve.be/cm/belgian-journal-entomology-2014 Gnezdilov, V. M., and Constant, J. (2014). Notes on the tribe Tongini, with description of a new species of the genus Orthophana from northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae). Acta Entomol. Musei Natl. Pragae 54, 47–55. https://www.biotaxa.org/AEMNP/article/view/5373 Ho, W.-C. G., Liu, X.-Y., Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2014). Brockphasma spinifemoralis gen. et spec. nov.: a new phasmid genus and new species of Neohiraseini (Phasmida: Necrosciinae) from Vietnam. Zootaxa 3826, 282–290. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3826.1.9 Pham, H. T., and Constant, J. (2014). The cicada genus Karenia Distant, 1888 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), with description of a new species. Zootaxa 3852, 579–584. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3852.5.6 Pham, H. T., and Constant, J. (2014). The cicada genus Semia Matsumura, 1917 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam, with new records and a key to species. TAP CHI SINH HOC 36, 39–45. https://doi.org/10.15625/0866-7160/v36n1.4515 Pham, H. T., and Constant, J. (2014). The genus Platylomia Stål, 1870 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam, with description of one new species and key to species. TAP CHI SINH HOC 36, 416–422. https://doi.org/10.15625/0866-7160/v36n4.6171 Bresseel, J., and Constant, J. (2013). Phamartes coronatus gen. nov. sp. nov. a new genus and species of stick insect from Bach Ma National Park, central Vietnam (Phasmida, Diapheromeridae, Necrosciinae). Zootaxa 3741, 141–150. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3741.1.4 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2013). Two new species of Sogana Matsumura, (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae) with an identification key to the hitherto known species from Vietnam. Ann. Zool. 63, 71–77. https://doi.org/10.3161/000345413X666219 Pham, H. T., and Constant, J. (2013). A new species of the genus Chremistica Stal, 1870 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam. TAP CHI SINH HOC 35, 32–36. https://doi.org/10.15625/0866-7160/v35n1.2935 Pham, H. T., and Constant, J. (2013). A new species of the cicada genus Semia Matsumura, 1917 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam, with a key to the species of the genus. Zootaxa 3709, 494–500. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3709.5.7 Gnezdilov, V. M., and Constant, J. (2012). Review of the Family Issidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) in Vietnam with description of a new species. Ann. Zool. 62, 571–576. https://doi.org/10.3161/000345412X659632 Constant, J., and Pham, H. T. (2011). Two new species of Hemisphaerius from Vietnam (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Issidae). Nouv. Revue Ent. 27, 109–115.

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