Armenia

Armenia's 142 endemic species of plants include the pears Pyrus gergerana (GTC WM) and Pyrus hajastana (plantarium.ru), the lilies Merendera mirzoevae (plantarium.ru) and Merendera greuteri (plantarium.ru), the poppies Papaver roseolum (plantarium.ru) and Papaver gorovanicum (Takhtajania WM pdf), Iris sisianica (AIS), Orobanche javakhetica (Species New to Science), Astragalus holophyllus (iNaturalist), Cousinia fedorovii (MNP Armenia WM), Phelipanche hajastanica (ResearchGate), Allium struzlianum (MNP Armenia WM), Centaurea vavilovii (p. 78 of env.am WM pdf), Colchicum goharae (MNP Armenia WM), a hollyhock Alcea grossheimii (p. 3 of CiteSeerX WM pdf), Dianthus grossheimii (MPG), Bufonia takhtajanii (p. 163 of env.am WM pdf), the Armenian Sword-lily Gladiolus hajastanicus (MNP Armenia WM), Ornithogalum gabrielianae (MNP Armenia WM), Ferula dseghica (ResearchGate), the hawthorns Crataegus gregorianii (ResearchGate) and Crataegus ulotricha (econews.am), a currant Ribes achurjani (MNP Armenia WM), and Silene chustupica (p. 176 of env.am WM pdf).

A mammal unique to the country is the Armenian Birch Mouse (IUCN) (MNP Armenia WM) (GBIF). The Armenian Whiskered Bat (MNP Armenia WM), previously considered a critically endangered endemic, has been recently shown to be a synonym of the more widespread Steppe Whiskered Bat Myotis aurascens (ResearchGate).

A recently described rock lizard Darevskia aghasyani (ResearchGate) is known only from the Urts Ridge.

Freshwater fish species found only in Lake Sevan and its tributaries include the Sevan Khramulya (FishBase). The Sevan trouts (Rufford) (FishBase) are sometimes considered to consist of four species including Salmo gegarkuni (fig. 17 at BHL) (Wikipedia), Salmo aestivalis (ECCR pdf) (fig. 2 at ZOBODAT pdf), and the extinct Salmo ischchan (fig. 16 at BHL) and Salmo danilewskii (env.am WM pdf). The Sevan Barbel Barbus goktschaicus (MNP Armenia WM) (Wikipedia) is sometimes considered distinct from the more widespread Barbus cyri.

There are 479 species of invertebrates known only from Armenia by one estimate. Endemic butterflies include a fritillary Melitaea vedica (MNP Armenia WM) (BHL) and a lycaenid Polyommatus belovi (Butterfly Conservation in Armenia WM). Other endemic insects include the moths Isoceras shevnini (GBIF) and Tegostoma burtoni (GBIF) and Depressaria urtsadzorensis (Lepiforum) and Stigmella armeniana (fig. 9 at MDPI), the longhorn beetles Dorcadion sevliczi (Cerambycidae WM) and Anoplistes agababiani (Cerambycidae WM), the ground beetles Dyschirius sevanensis (MNP Armenia WM) and Pterostichus capitatus (p. 27 of CC Armenia WM pdf), a click beetle Ampedus armeniacus (Elateridae), a jewel beetle Sphaerobothris aghababiani (flickr), the scarabs Pseudopachydema medvedevi (MNP Armenia WM) and Neagolius aragatsi (ResearchGate), a cholevid beetle Bathysciola caucasica (Natura Bresciana pdf), the rove beetles Bellatheta khustupica (fig. 4 at ZOBODAT pdf) and Geostiba deliqua (GBIF), a leaf beetle Phyllotreta maculosa (Chrysomelidae of Europe WM), the weevils Cionus armeniacus (GBIF) and Caulomorphus kociani (fig. c at ResearchGate), a grasshopper Nocaracris judithae (GBIF), a katydid Parapholidoptera kalashiani (Fig. 21 at Academia), an ant cricket Bothriophylax rjabovi (p. 31 of zin.ru pdf), the ants Aphaenogaster dlusskyi (GBIF) and Solenopsis nitida (AntBase WM pdf), and a leafhopper Pentastira erebunii (p. 3 of Univ. Delaware WM pdf).

Other endemic invertebrates include a scorpion Compsobuthus armenicus (Scorpion Files), a running crab spider Philodromus rikhteri (p. 8 of araneae pdf), a jumping spider Pseudicius pseudocourtauldi (araneae), a wolf spider Pardosa armeniaca (ZooKeys), a trapdoor spider Raveniola ambardzumyani (IJE pdf), a woodlouse spider Dysdera haykana (ZooKeys), a harvestman Phalangium armenicus (figs. 1-2 at ResearchGate), and several millipedes: Armeniopachyiulus pokr (GBIF), Golovatchosoma trichochaetum (GBIF), and Caucasominorus polylobatus (GBIF). Endemic molluscs include the freshwater snails Valvata armeniaca (ResearchGate) and Shadinia bjniensis and Nicolaia schniebsae (both at ResearchGate), and several land snails: Karabaghia bituberosa (CeNak WM), Harmozica zangezurica (ResearchGate), Armenica narineae (ResearchGate), and Akramowskia akramowskii (WMSDB).

Lichens known solely from Armenia include Verrucaria juglandis (ResearchGate) and Megaspora cretacea (ResearchGate). Endemic non-vascular plants include a moss Microbryum lydiae (Plate III at cyberleninka.ru).

Armenia forms part of two biodiversity hotspots: the Caucasus (Biodiversity Hotspots WM) and the Irano-Anatolian (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Lake Sevan is noteworthy for endemic freshwater species (sevanlake.am WM) and is part of the Kura-South Caspian Drainages freshwater ecoregion (FEOW WM). An overview of Armenia's biodiversity is available at (CBD pdf). A list of endemic plant and animal species is at (p. 151 of USAID pdf). See also the Red Book of Armenia (mnp.am WM) (env.am WM pdf) for details on threatened species..