Sex: Male
Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Biodiversity, National Taiwan Normal University, ongoing
• PhD Fellow - Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan, ongoing
• Master of Science in Biology, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, 2016
• Bachelor of Science in Biology, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, 2012

Field of Specialization:
Life Sciences

Researches:

Article title: Novel wing display and divergent agonistic behaviors of two incipient Psolodesmus damselflies
Authors: Leocris S. Batucan Jr, Yu-Hsun Hsu, Jak W. Maliszewski, Liang-Jong Wang & Chung-Ping Lin
Publication title: The Science of Nature 108 (49) 2021

Abstract:
Sexual selection via male competition is a strong evolutionary force that can drive rapid changes in competitive traits and subsequently lead to population divergence and speciation. Territorial males of many odonates are known to use their colorful wings as visual signals and to perform agonistic displays toward intruders. Psolodesmus mandarinus dorothea and Psolodesmus mandarinus mandarinus are two parapatrically distributed sister damselflies that share similar ecological characteristics but differ markedly in wing coloration. The wings of P. m. dorothea are mostly clear, whereas those of P. m. mandarinus have a large area of black pigmentation and a central white patch. We investigated whether territorial males of the two damselflies at breeding sites display distinct agonistic behaviors associated with their respective wing colors. Behavioral interactions between territorial and intruder males and their wing kinematics were filmed and analyzed for P. m. dorothea in Lienhuachih of central Taiwan, and P. m. mandarinus in Tianxiyuan and Fusan of northern Taiwan. We observed that the P. m. mandarinus males exhibited a novel set of perched wing displays, which was not only absent in its sister P. m. dorothea but also previously unknown in Odonata. At breeding sites, perched rival males of P. m. mandarinus with pigmented wings exhibited escalating agonistic wing-flapping and wing-hitting displays toward each other. In contrast, territorial males of P. m. dorothea with clear wings engaged only in aerial chase or face-to-face hovering when intruder males approached from the air. These results indicate that the two sister P. mandarinus damselflies diverged behaviorally in territorial contests and support the hypothesis of coadaptation on the basis of wing colors and types of wing movement in Odonata. Our findings further suggest that divergent agonistic wing displays may play a pivotal role in the speciation mechanism of P. mandarinus damselflies. The sequential analyses of behavioral characteristics and progression suggest that P. m. mandarinus damselflies likely use mutual assessment of rivals in territorial contests.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/mtt98mpn

Article title: Nutrient loadings and deforestation decrease benthic macroinvertebrate diversity in an urbanised tropical stream system
Authors: Elfritzson M.Peralta, Leocris S. Batucan Jr. Irisse Bianca B. De Jesusa, Ellis Mika C. Triño, Yoshitoshi Uehara, Takuya Ishida, Yuki Kobayashi, Chia-Ying Ko, Tomoya Iwata, Adelina S. Borja, Jonathan Carlo A. Briones, Rey Donne S. Papa, Francis S. Magbanua, Noboru Okuda
Publication title: Limnologica 80, January 2020

Abstract:
Lotic ecosystems in urban areas are severely impacted by anthropogenic environmental stressors, such as deforestation and nutrient pollution, due to socioeconomic activities in the catchment. To work out measures for identification and mitigation of concurrent multiple stressors to a stream system, it is necessary to assess the relative importance of impacts by the individual stressors. Here we aimed to discriminate the covarying effects of nutrient pollution and deforestation on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in an urbanised tropical stream system. In the Silang-Santa Rosa Subwatershed (SSRS) of Laguna de Bay, benthic macroinvertebrates and physicochemical environments were investigated at 13 sites varying in human population density, riparian canopy, and land-use pattern as indicated by geographic information systems in the catchment. Regression and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the drivers of the biodiversity loss and understand its underlying mechanisms. In the SSRS, where rapid economic growth took place without updating poorly installed wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), domestic activity indicated by human population density in the catchment was the primary factor in generating heavy phosphorous loadings (mean total phosphorus = 0.91; range = 0–1.50 mg/l) that caused hypoxia (mean dissolved oxygen = 2.98; range = 0.13–6.27 mg/l) in stream waters and subsequently reduced macroinvertebrate diversity (mean H’ = 0.91; SD ± 0.61). Nutrient and organic pollution and riparian deforestation explained 53.5% and 9.7% of the variation of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in SSRS, respectively. Given such scenario, additional WWTPs servicing urban developments and improved riparian canopy cover in the SSRS can be both strategic and cost-effective in the initial steps of environmental mitigation in urbanised streams, especially in rapidly developing countries.
Full text available upon request to the author

Article title: A New Species of Mayfly (Ephemeroptera: Trichorythidae) from Mindanao Island, Philippines and Association of Life Stages Using DNA Barcode
Authors: Leocris Jr. Batucan, Olga Nuneza, Reagan Joseph Villanueva, Chung-Ping Lin
Publication title: Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology 10:6-13, February 2017

Abstract:
A new mayfly species, Sparsorythus buntawensis sp. nov. (Tricorythidae) from Layawan River of Mt. Malindang in Mindanao Island, the Philippines is described based on nymphal and adult morphologies. Sparsorythus buntawensis sp. nov. differ from all known members of the genus primarily in the deeper cleft of the hypopharynx and wider distance between compound eyes. Conspecific specimens of various life stages and sexes of this new mayfly were associated using DNA barcode.
Full text available upon request to the author

Article title: Follicular hierarchy evaluation of pateros ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domestica) from semi free- range farms of Zamboanga del Sur and Misamis Occidental, Mindanao, Philippines
Authors: Leocris Jr. Batucan, Henry Rivero, Olga Nuneza, Bryan G D Belleza
Publication title: ABAH Bioflux, 2016, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2016

Abstract:
The egg-type pateros ducks, Anas platyrhynchos domestica, in the Philippines are raised in the traditional semi free-range management system which allows farmers to keep the ducks in flocks as extra activities in between their crop farming routines. This study assessed the follicular development in ducks grown from farms in semi free-range system and evaluated the different conditions of the gonads using the follicular ranks and the frequency of occurrence of follicular atresia. Nineteen ducks from Zamboanga del Sur (9 aged 6-12 months; 10 aged 13-24 months) and 20 ducks from Misamis Occidental (10 each for 6-12 and 13-24 months age group) were dissected and evaluated (n=39). Results showed that the gonadosomatic index (GSI) of 6-12 month-old ducks from Zamboanga del Sur (Group 1) was 0.367% while GSI of the 6-12 month-old ducks from Misamis Occidental (Group 2) was 0.323%. Lower GSI of 0.298% was observed for Group III (13-24 month-old ducks from Zamboanga del Sur) and Group IV with 0.222% (13-24 month-old ducks from Misamis Occidental). Results also revealed atretic, unresponsive, and undeveloped follicles in almost all of the ducks sampled which appear to be affected by the type of feeding management by the farmers.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/2p825ty9

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