Cameron Highlands project

[infinity]

Well, as part of my Applied Entomology degree I'll be spending two months in Malaysia (specifically the Cameron Highlands) identifying species that could be beneficial controls for the DBM. However, since it is a reasonably simple survey, I might have lots of free time

Does anyone have a complete list of the known mantid species in Malaysia? - or anything else I should watch out for for that matter

 

[OGIGA]

Oh, that'll be awesome! I think another bloodline of orchids will be nice.

 

[yen_saw]

Hi infinity, they are lots of praying mantis species in Malaysia, is amazing how a small country like this can have so many species of praying mantis. I am not going into each species details. But i can tell you exactly where to find cool bugs in cluding praying mantis, here is the e-mail from a friend (Michael Yeh) from Malaysia last year

There is no particular places whhere plentiful insects can be found. Its all depend on luck and the right timing. Experience play a small role. June is a good time as most insects are in season. I think the best place for your sons to see some bugs in Tapah Hills should be at mile 19th-Tapah-Cameron Highlands road. Look to the left for a single concrete shop house selling sundry. Go to the back of the shop from the left small path and you will see an aboriginal village. Ask to see some insects (which they sell).Go a bit further near the river and you might see some butterflies. To see bugs in the wild,the mostly encounter species will be butterflies and dragon fly.Others need a keen eyes. Those collected by the aboriginal people will give your son a chance to see many exotic specimens. While in Cameron Highlands,look under street lamp post and you might see some cicadammoths and beetles and sometimes a coommon mantids.

The 19th mile shop is near to the national Electircity Housing (Tenaga nasional) which is next to the shop on the right side. You will encounter this shop after you drive pass the Large waterfall (where there are lots of stalls for tourists) in about 20 minutes. Pay attention when trying to locate it. Aboriginal people are friendly

Please note that i have a son who is keen on bugs too! I am planning to visit Malaysia next year summer around June, which will be the best time to find cool bugs. Hopefully you can bring back some Toxodera or paratoxodera species and spread them around. You have the spot now do your best and best of luck infinity!!

 

[Ian]

Sorry Jon, just read this one.

You are one lucky dave! That sounds awesome...remember to take lots of snaps.

That really is somewhere I would love to go one day.

Best of luck, and have a great time

 

[chun]

I might be going to malaysia next summer as well!! wanna hook up yen "bah khut dare"

 

[yen_saw]

Ah.. tasty "Bah kut teh", been long deprived of this popular local Malaysian food. Will let you know, i am almost certain going to visit malaysia next year, we could arrange a time to meet with the local villegers at Tapah Hill. Keep in touch.

 

[chun]

cool, yeah, am definitely up for that! Looking forward to it, better start saving up!!

 

[infinity]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone- it's been helpful!

bah khut dare? - something i should look out for?

 

[chun]

oh yes, you definitely should hehe; it's a local malaysian-chinese cuisine with pig instestines, stomach and skin, mushrooms, bit of veggie in a herbal soap (and you eat it with rice)...i know, it sounds horrible, but it's actually aint that bad! Good stuff

You lucky git Jon...sounds interesting though, keep us up to date! Sounds well exciting (probably isnt after a while )! Out of interest, wwhich uni are you doing your applied ento degree with? ( I'm thinking about doing a Msc in Entomology with Imperial College next year, was wondering if that was teh degree you're doing right now)

Anything to watch for...stinging ants. I tried to catch a (Creobroter?) nymph amongst some leaves, and got stung so many times by those darn things!

Have a great time mate!! You know who to send any surplus insects to *cough cough me cough cough*

Take care

 

[OGIGA]

oh yes, you definitely should hehe; it's a local malaysian-chinese cuisine with pig instestines, stomach and skin, mushrooms, bit of veggie in a herbal soap (and you eat it with rice)...i know, it sounds horrible, but it's actually aint that bad! Good stuff

Sounds scary, but I guess I should try it since you all say it's so good. Do people in Malaysia eat balot eggs? Everyone here is scared of them, but I think they're totally delcious!

 

[yen_saw]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone- it's been helpful!bah khut dare? - something i should look out for?

"Bak Kut Teh" is definately not a mantis! so don't waste your time lookig for one :wink: Chun, you are scaring people away with the ingredients!! :wink:

What is a balot eggs Ogiga?! When it comes to eating exotic animals or bugs, Malaysia is far less fancier than Mainland China.

 

[OGIGA]

Balot is a what they call it in the Philippines. It's basically a fertilized chicken or duck egg that's a few days away from hatching. To cook it, you just boil it like a hard boiled egg. Then, you eat it when salt and pepper. I like to eat it with some herbs (don't know what it's called in English). Anyway, if you search for it on Google or something, they'll have some gross pictures. It really doesn't look that gross.

I think it's more common in other Southeast Asian places, especially Vietnam. I actually like Vietnamese food a lot.

 

[yen_saw]

Ah i see. Not that i know of for my 20+yrs in Malaysia, but i have friends from the Phillipines tried that before and it is popular in the Phillipines. The one from Vietnam is chicken egg not duck, i actually tried it once here in the US, just don't look when you eat it. Cos the shape of the chicken embryo is very "visible"!! Honestly, it doesn't taste that bad at all!! basically you crack the top part of the shell, pour sauces into the egg, and drink it. You have the choice of boiling it to half cooked or take it raw, obviously i chose the boil one (they didn't let me go for hard boil option).

 

[OGIGA]

Wow... I have never heard of eating it raw or half cooked. Maybe I should try one day. Glad to know that not everybody on this forum are freaked out by it.

My parents said that Fear Factor on TV had those one time for people to eat. My parents were laughing so hard because those things are so delicious yet people are so scared of them.

According to my parents (who grew up in Vietnam), Vietnamese people eat duck eggs rather than chicken eggs. Not only are ducks more common than chickens in Vietnam, duck eggs are larger so the chick inside is also larger. I had chicken ones too, but I think I prefer the duck eggs more.

 

[yen_saw]

Hmmm... i must have been hanging out with Vietnamese who prefer the chicken eggs Actually duck egg would have stronger scent.

 

[infinity]

Off today!!! woo!!!

So many films coming out during that time too - spiderman 3, pirates OTC, shrek 3, simpsons movie, transformers.... at £2 a ticket should be so much fun!!!

wish me luck