Ateneo’s ‘SalaguGang’ scales new heights in biodiversity research

Fifteen new beetle species and pioneering research into other rarely studied species. It’s no wonder that the Ateneo Biodiversity Research Laboratory—affectionately known as the #SalaguGang, in reference to their close-knit friendship and beetle-like persistence—has been feted for its scientific excellence, clinching its fourth consecutive grand slam win at the 2025 Young Systematic Biologists Forum (YSBF)

The annual championship was part of the 42nd annual conference of the Association of Systematic Biologists of the Philippines (ASBP), held from 26 to 28 May at the University of Santo Tomas. The SalaguGang, composed of Ateneo student researchers with a shared passion for beetles and biodiversity, didn’t just defend their title—they climbed even higher with a total of five major awards.

Topping the roster was Joshua Covenant M Angeles (4 BS Bio), who took First Place in the Undergraduate Oral Presentation category for his study on Laccobius, a genus of aquatic beetles. Using both traditional taxonomy and DNA barcoding—an approach known as integrative taxonomy—his research revealed five new species and expanded the known distribution of these insects in the Philippines. Not far behind was fellow lab member Aaron Joseph Steve W Dy II (4 BS Bio), who won Second Place in the same category for identifying four new species of Anacaena beetles.

Both students were advised by Dr Emmanuel D Delocado, head of the BiodivLab and Director of the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability.

Meanwhile, in the poster category, the lab dominated once again. Raul Joshua M Estrella (4 BS Bio) landed First Place for his research on Patrus, a beetle genus not studied in the Philippines for 87 years. Meanwhile, Samantha A Ramos Yeo (4 BS Bio) and Voltaire Rafael H Banzon Jr (MS Bio) tied for Second Place with presentations on Enochrus and the rarely recorded Sphaeriusidae family, respectively.

Another SalaguGang member, Samantha Noelle U Bagalay (4 BS Bio), presented a non-competing oral talk on six new species of Georissus, further extending the lab’s contribution to freshwater beetle diversity.

The conference was capped by Dr Delocado’s election as Vice President of the ASBP, continuing a leadership role that includes editing the group’s Scopus-indexed journal, the Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology. Many of the lab’s past winning studies are now published in international journals.

The lab’s work, funded by the Ateneo de Manila University Research Council and the SC Johnson Student Research and Development Fund for the Environment, advances the Ateneo’s commitment to Integral Ecology by spotlighting species that shape, and are shaped by, local ecosystems.

With their latest ascent, the SalaguGang has proven that, when it comes to science, they don’t just crawl — they climb.