Project Update: October 2007

We planned to make the fieldwork on three karst areas in Gunung Sewu (Yogyakarta), Gombong Selatan (Central Java) and Cibinong (West Java), but during the activities we extended the fieldwork areas in seven more karst areas from west to east of Java.

An additional cave adapted species are discovered during the trips: second species of cave stenasellids from Sukabumi, cave shrimp (Macrobrachium sp.) (Grobogan) and several species of atyids (Gunung Sewu).

More than seven species of cave arthropods are believed to be new to science, Stygophrynus spp. (Amblypygi) from caves in Grobogan Karst (Central Java) and Tuban Karst (East Java) and one species from epigean habitat in limestone forest in Ujung Kulon NP (Banten). Each species has specific distribution and endemic to certain karst areas.

More than 14 species of bats from 7 families are collected from the caves of Java karst.