Birds, Insects and Other Wildlife of Dupax

MY FELLOW biodiversity advocates today may curse me if they get to know that as a boy I was not an angel insofar as birds, snakes, bats, lizards, rats, fish, and all kinds of insects are concerned.

Yes, back then, I was not only a slingshot-carrying wildlife murderer... most of the time I also carried an ota' (machete) or a pamahpah (usually a bamboo pole for hitting) each time I went gallivanting in my favorite baiyur (hill), wayil (stream), payaw (ricefield), and pampattolan si nuwang (carabao-grazing area).

An old man now, I can only say sorry for the several dozens of creatures whose lives I snuffed for food even if we didn't lack other things to eat... whose puupu' (nest) I mercilessly destroyed no matter if they had itluh (egg) or ana' (young) in them... whose right to enjoy the botlong (grass) and the pleasant soy-ang (sunshine) I deprived just so I could have fun... et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

It may be a lame excuse, but I wittingly or unwittingly committed such kasalanan (sin) because siren poto' (in the early days) there were still so many such pinalsa (creatures) around us that nobody seemed to care whether the uunga (children) needlessly maimed or decimated them.

But if there were good things that my ecological footprints as a bird chaser, river fisher, frog eater, nest hunter, rat killer, bat exterminator, and entomophagous insect collector had done, one of them would be my having known the names, habitats, songs, smells, toxicity, and taste of many kinds of wildlife in my nature-rich playgrounds when I was little.

HERE ARE LISTS of some of the creatures that were "at our disposal" way back then:

INSECTS

     abubbulih: [Ilokano: ampipit. Filipino: hantik]
alaksiyot: hornet [Ilok: alumpipinig. Fil: putakti]
alivabba: flying termite [Ilok: simut-simut. Fil: gamu-gamo]
anoy: termite [Ilok: anay. Fil: anay]
arabas: soldier worm [Ilok: arrabas. Fil: harabas]
atittino' an mango'ngot: damsel fly [Ilok: Fil: ]
atittino': dragonfly [Ilok: tuwwato. Fil: tutubi]
ato'tong: water beetle [Ilok: allukap. Fil: ?]
avabbayung: bumble bee [Ilok: alimbubuyog. Fil: bubuyog]
baha-baha: cotton bug [Ilok: baka-baka. Fil: baka-baka]
balang: locust [Ilok: dudon, balang. Fil: balang, dayupay]
báya-í: cockroach [Ilok: ipes. Fil: ipis]
bu'bu': powder-post beetle [Ilok: bukbuk. Fil: bukbok]
bu'bu' si bohas: rice weevil [Ilok: bukbuk ti bagas. Fil: bukbok ]
dangaw: stink bug [Ilok: dangaw. Fil: atangya]
duluríyaw: cicada  [Ilok: riyari, ari-ari. Fil: kuliglig]
dumoh: rhinoceros beetle [Ilok: barrairong. Fil: uwang]
durun: grasshopper [Ilok: dudon. Fil: tipaklong]
ee: mole cricket [Ilok: ararawan. Fil: suhong]
eha: tailor ant [Ilok: abuos. Fil: kara-kara]
eve: May beetle [Ilok: abal-abal, sibbaweng. Fil: salagubang]
gilang-gílang: golden beetle [Ilok: sammi-sammi. Fil: salaginto]
guwem: tiny sugar ant [Ilok: Fil: guyam]
i'-irung: firefly [Ilok: kulalanti. Fil: alitaptap]
imu': mosquito [Ilok: lamuk. Fil: lamok]
kanet: ant [Ilok: kuton. Fil: langgam]

     kanet an mandirito': [Ilok: kuton a nalabbaga. Fil: kuwitib]
kukkuyappon: butterfly [Ilok: kulibangbang. Fil: paru-paro, alibangbang]
kundidit: twilight cicada [Ilok: andidit. Fil: sitsiritsit]
leyoh: housefly; bummer fly [Ilok: ngilaw. Fil: langaw; bangaw]
paspasusu: preying/praying mantis [Ilok: wasay-wasay. Fil: sasamba, samba-samba]
pipingngaw: moth [Ilok: kulibangbang ti rabii. Fil: gamugamo]

     sondasondalo: katydid [Ilok: suldasuldado. Fil:?]tanur-tanur: damsel fly [Ilok: dagum-dagum. Fil: tutubing-karayom]
tomá: gnat [Ilok: sepsep. Fil: niknik]
tugtugayang: cricket [Ilok: kuriat. Fil: kuliglig]
tutu'gung: click beetle [Ilok: saltesaltek. Fil: laglagitik]

     LEGGED CRAWLERS 

     aáwwa: spider [Ilokano: lawalawa. Filipino: gagamba]

     alin-amut: chicken tick [Ilok: ulmog. Fil: ayam, hanip]

     ampas: tick [Ilok: ampas, garapata. Fil: garapata]

     atattaru: hairy caterpillar [Ilok: budu-budo. Fil: tilas]

     bangbangawan: caterpillar [Ilok: igges. Fil: uod, tilas]

     batevate: grub (beetle larva) [Ilok: tateg. Fil: uok]gayáman: centipede [Ilok: gayáman. Fil: alupihan]
itov: bedbug [Ilok: kiteb. Fil: surot]
singat-singat: millipede [Ilok: ar-aritos. Fil: alupihan]
sutsúnay: ant lion [Ilok: sunud-sunud. Fil: ?]
tíme: flea [Ilok: timel. Fil: pulgas]

     tu'bu: green stinging caterpillar [Ilok: samrid. Fil: mamaso]túngaw: aphid; plant louse [Ilok: aplat. Fil: dapulak]
útu: [Ilok: kutu. Fil: kuto] 

    (Continued in Part 2)