Write an article about Hidden in plain sight: rare firefly species found in Bukit Kiara .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from The Gombak bent-winged firefly is the ninth known species to inhabit Bukit Kiara. (Nicholas Tan pic)
SUBANG JAYA: Stumbling upon something rare is exciting – but it becomes even more memorable when it is accidental.
That was exactly what happened to Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh, a leading entomologist and senior lecturer at Monash University Malaysia’s School of Science, and her research assistant, Tan Wei Jack, when they found the third known specimen of the rare Gombak bent-winged firefly (“Pteroptyx gombakia”).
“The specimen was collected on Oct 23, 2024. It was previously assumed to be from the genus ‘Colophotia’ until I examined it under a microscope on Jan 9,” said Tan, 24.
That was when he noticed something strange, a feature that didn’t match what he’d just learnt about “Colophotia” fireflies the day before. “That was the moment I knew something was different,” added Tan.
The specimen had been collected from Bukit Kiara in Kuala Lumpur – and the location left Tan puzzled.
“Based on the knowledge I had at the time, I thought that fireflies from the genus ‘Pteroptyx’ only lived in mangroves. As it turns out, this is the first bent-winged ‘Pteroptyx’ found outside of mangroves,” he explained.
He quickly sent a message and a photo to Wan Faridah who confirmed the surprising find was a male Gombak bent-winged firefly!
Wan Faridah, who also serves as the co-chair of the IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group, was thrilled. After all, this would also be the first confirmed sighting of a live Gombak bent-winged firefly in a century.
Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh and Tan Wei Jack hope to answer lingering questions about the Gombak bent-winged firefly through their research. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
According to Wan Faridah, the first Gombak bent-winged firefly specimen was collected back in 1921. But it was not named until 2015 when entomologist Lesley Ballantyne found it at the Natural History Museum in London.
Wan Faridah herself found the second specimen in 2019 at the Museum of Zoology in Universiti Malaya. That specimen, she added, had been collected in 1935.
Wanting to observe the fireflies in their natural habitat, Wan Faridah and her team returned to Bukit Kiara. Finally, after several attempts, they had a breakthrough.
That day, Tan recalled, they entered Bukit Kiara 30 minutes before sunset and waited until it was dark.
“We suspected this species could be crepuscular as previous attempts that were conducted long past sunset didn’t bear fruit,” he said. A crepuscular animal is most active at twilight.
“Sure enough, we started seeing flickering lights high up in the tree canopy just a few minutes after sunset,” added Tan.
The Gombak bent-winged firefly has become the ninth known firefly species to inhabit Bukit Kiara. One of its most unique features, Tan shared, is its bent wings – which also inspired its name.
“If you look closely from the underside, you will notice that the edges of the wings near the abdomen are coloured black and curled inwards. This feature looks similar to the ears of a button-eared dog,” he explained.
The Gombak bent-winged fireflies were hidden in plain sight, raising the question: are there other undiscovered specie or, worse, ones that have gone extinct? (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
Unlike most “Pteroptyx”, the Gombak bent-winged firefly doesn’t seem to congregate in large numbers. Many questions about the firefly still remain – which is why Wan Faridah and her team are determined to find the answers through their research.
“What worries me is that we don’t know whether we have found the Gombak bent-winged firefly at the brink of extinction. So, we are racing against time now,” added Wan Faridah, 39.
According to her, threats to the Gombak bent-winged firefly include habitat loss due to urban development and the use of “artificial light at night”, which can interfere with the flashing signals the fireflies use to communicate.
“Every species rediscovered is proof that extinction isn’t inevitable, but it does require effort. If more people know about these fireflies, maybe more will be done to protect their habitats,” said Tan.
Indeed, a rare group of fireflies living in the heart of an urban city is truly magical. So, the next time you’re on a night walk and catch a flicker of light above, how about taking some time to pause and wonder: could it be a species yet to be discovered?
And maybe, that spark will inspire you to help protect its future.
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