Vanuatu
Birds
found nowhere
else include the Vanuatu Scrubfowl (eBird) (VPAI
WM),
the Vanuatu Imperial-pigeon (eBird),
the Tanna Fruit-dove (eBird),
the Vanuatu Kingfisher (eBird),
the
Vanuatu Honeyeater (eBird),
the Vanuatu White-eye (eBird),
the Vanuatu Streaked Fantail (Cornell),
the Santo Thicketbird (twitter
WM) (eBird),
and the Mountain Starling (VESS
pdf). Additional species sometime recognized as distinct are the Royal
Parrotfinch (eBird)
and the Vanuatu Petrel (eBird)
which may be a breeding endemic. The Buff-bellied Monarch (eBird)
is an endemic genus. Extinct species include the Tanna Ground-dove (Wikipedia).
Mammals unique to Vanuatu include the Vanuatu Flying Fox Pteropus anetianus (VESS
pdf) (iNaturalist)
and the Banks Flying Fox Pteropus fundatus
(fig. 1B at ResearchGate)
(BHL).
Endemic
reptiles include the Toupeed Skink Emoia
sanfordi (WTEC
WM)
(iNaturalist),
the Vanuatu Coppery Vine Skink Emoia
nigromarginata (iNaturalist),
the Anatom Tree Skink Emoia
aneityumensis (iNaturalist),
the Erronan Tree Skink Emoia
erronan (Google
Books),
the Vanuatu Snake-eyed Skink Cryptoblepharus
novohebridicus (Reptile
Database) (iNaturalist),
the Vanuatu Saw-tailed Gecko Perochirus
guentheri (ResearchGate),
the Vanuatu Forest Gecko Lepidodactylus
vanuatuensis (Reptile
Database), and the Vanuatu Ant-nest Gecko Lepidodactylus buleli
(ResearchGate).
Freshwater fish restricted to Vanuatu include the gobies Stiphodon astilbos (Ryan
Photographic pdf), Stiphodon
kalfatak (ResearchGate),
Sicyopterus
aiensis (ResearchGate),
and
Akihito
(or Sicyopus) vanuatu (Species
New to Science).
Endemic marine fish include the Hooded Fairy Wrasse Cirrhilabrus efatensis
(ResearchGate),
a flounder Engyprosopon
vanuatuensis (Springer)
(IUCN),
the Vanuatu Goatfish Upeneus
vanuatu (GBIF),
a collared wriggler Xenisthmus
chapmani (BHL),
a finless snake eel Apterichtus
jeffwilliamsi (GBIF),
the Lemon Pygmygoby Trimma
citrum (FishBase)
(zenodo),
a duckbill eel Nettenchelys
paxtoni (GBIF),
and the Strange Skate Notoraja
inusitata (Internet
Archive).
Butterflies known solely from Vanuatu include Polyura sacco (iNaturalist)
(fig.
12 at BHL),
Hypolimnas aurifascia
(BHL),
and Deudorix mathewi
(Wikispecies).
Endemic moths include a swallowtail moth Lyssa curvata (iNaturalist),
a sphinx moth Gnathothlibus
saccoi (BOLD),
and an erebid moth Tabwecala
robinsoni
(Nota
Lepidopterologica).
Other endemic insects include the damselflies Vanuatubasis
santoensis (ResearchGate)
and Vanuatubasis
kapularum (ZooKeys),
a dragonfly Gynacantha
vanuatua (GBIF),
a grasshopper Hebridea
rufotibialis (ResearchGate),
the katydids Ityocephala
francoisi (ResearchGate)
and Salomona
redtenbacheri
(ResearchGate)
(OSF),
the crickets Microbinthus
santoensis (IUCN)
and Cardiodactylus
enkraussi (iNaturalist),
a raspy cricket Hugelgryllacris
tchancha (GBIF),
the stick insects Megacrania
speiseri (BioOne)
and Asprenas crassipes
(GBIF),
the ants Leptogenys
hebrideana
(AntWiki)
and Metapone nivanuatu
(AntWiki),
the bees Homalictus
tannaensis (GBIF)
and
Lasioglossum vanuatu (p. 6 of Atlas
Hymenoptera WM pdf),
a termite Cryptotermes
penaoru (ZooKeys),
the flower beetles Poecilopharis
flavens (iNaturalist)
and Glycyphana mirei
(GBIF),
a stag beetle Bomansius
cheesmanae (ResearchGate),
a firefly Atyphella
maritimus (GBIF),
a hister beetle Acritus
sanma (Internet
Archive), a lace bug Idiocysta
vanuatuensis (p. 4 of EJE
pdf), a checkered beetle Omadius
santo (p. 15 of LSU
WM
pdf), a darkling beetle Uloma
vanuatensis (ResearchGate),
a firefly Atyphella
maritimus (GBIF),
the longhorned beetles Psalidocoptus
scaber (Prioninae
of the World) and Melanesiandra
anatomensis (Univ.
Nebraska pdf), the weevils Elytrurus
caudatus (iNaturalist)
and Celeuthetes
hebridarum (iNaturalist),
a hoverfly Ceriana
oceanica (GBIF),
a fruit fly Bactrocera
neoxanthodes (PLAZI),
and a mayfly Caenis
vanuatensis (ResearchGate).
A rich endemic land mollusc fauna includes a slug Semperula solemi (BHL)
and several snails: Partula
auraniana (IUCN),
Partula
milleri
(fig 8 at BHL),
Georissa obsoleta
(BHL),
Reticharopa latecosta
(fig.
198G at academia.edu),
Diplomorpha delautourii
(fig.
202G at academia.edu),
Dendrotrochus layardi
(fig.
201G at academia.edu),
and Placostylus bicolor
(fig. 202A at academia.edu).
Other endemic molluscs include a freshwater snail Fluviopupa
espiritusantoana (ResearchGate)
and the marine snails Conus
hervillardi (GBIF)
and Liotipoma
magna (Eddie
Hardy).
Other endemic invertebrates
include a springtail Yuukianura
judithae (ResearchGate),
a jumping spider Araneotanna
ornatipes (jumping-spiders.com),
a crab spider Diaea
bipunctata
(fig. 4 at BHL)
(iNaturalist),
a scorpion Lychas
santoensis (p. 4 of MNHN
pdf), the harvestmen Santobius
spinitarsus (ResearchGate)
and Zalmoxis bilbo
(p. 11 of Sharma
Lab WM pdf),
the millipedes Eutrichodesmus
communicans (flickr)
and Lobiferodesmus
vanuatu (KMK
pdf), a tree-climbing
mangrove crab of the genus Scandarma
(p. 7 of SNF
WM
pdf), a cave-dwelling crab Karstarma
umbra (J-Stage
pdf), a freshwater hermit crab Clibanarius
fonticola (Wikipedia),
a freshwater isopod Exosphaeroides
quirosi (GBIF),
an earthworm Pheretima
speiseri (BHL),
a starfish Iconaster
vanuatuensis (GBIF)
(p. 19 of Smithsonian
pdf), Nautilus
vanuatuensis (ZooKeys),
a bryozoan Drepanophora
gutta (bryozoa.net
WM),
and
a crinoid Capillaster
squarrosus (ResearchGate).
A parasitic flatworm Gekkonotrema
postporum (Internet
Archive) discovered in geckos from Vanuatu is the sole member
of the family Gekkonotrematidae.
About 150 vascular plant species are exclusive to
Vanuatu including
several palms such
as Caryota ophiopellis
(PACSOA),
Veitchia montgomeryana
(ARKive
WM),
Clinostigma
harlandii (PACSOA),
Heterospathe
uniformis (IPS
WM
pdf),
Cyphosperma voutmelense
(ResearchGate),
and an endemic genus Carpoxylon
macrospermum (iNaturalist)
(ARKive
WM).
Endemic orchids include Dendrobium
pseudorarum (IOPSE
WM),
Dendrobium
mooreanum (Prof.
Summer's Web Garden WM) (iNaturalist),
and Malaxis
iwashinae (Prof.
Summer's Web Garden WM).
Other endemic plants include the Variegated Clown Fig Ficus aspera (TopTropicals.com), Gardenia tannaensis (JSTOR), Psychotria aneityensis (JSTOR), Plerandra cabalionii (ResearchGate), Schefflera vanuatu and Geissois denhamii (both on p. 32 of SNF WM pdf), Solanum vanuatuense (iNaturalist), Polyscias schmidii (ResearchGate), the Santo Kauri Agathis silbae (RBGE) (VESS pdf), Cyrtandra efatensis (JSTOR), Ixora asme (Vanuaflora WM), Turrillia lutea (Internet Archive), Oxera vanuatuensis (iNaturalist), Glochidion ramiflorum (Internet Archive), Pittosporum campbellii (Vanuaflora WM), Salacia aneityensis (Vanuaflora WM), Endiandra aneityensis (Vanuaflora WM), Phlegmariurus vanuatuensis (GBIF) (POWO), Didymocheton aneityensis (fig. 4D at zenodo), Ochrosia alyxioides (Vanuaflora WM), Phaleria pentecostalis (iNaturalist), Claoxylon gillisonii (Vanuaflora WM), Cryptocarya tannaensis (Vanuaflora), Astronidium aneityense (Vanuaflora), Maesa banksiana (Vanuaflora WM), Eumachia (or Psychotria) aneityensis (Vanuaflora), and Vaccinium macgillivrayi (Vanuaflora).
Lichens known only from Vanuatu include Gassicurtia albomarginata
(ResearchGate)
and Herpothallon alae
(p. 65 of ANBG
pdf). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Epipterygium vanuatuicum
(JSTOR)
and Barbula aneitensis
(GBIF)
and the liverworts Plicanthus
difficilis (p. 5 of Phytotaxa
pdf) and Cololejeunea
retusula (GBIF).
Vanuatu is included in the Vanuatu Rain Forests terrestrial
ecoregion (EoE)
and the East
Melanesian Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM).
For more information on the endemic
species of Vanuatu see the National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (CBD
pdf) and "The Natural History of Santo" (IRD
pdf).