Chile

Chile has a rich and distinctive flora with over 2100 species of vascular plants found nowhere else. Plant families unique to Chile include Thyrsopteridaceae (Flora of the World WM) (RBGE) from the Juan Fernandez Islands and a tree Gomortegaceae (GTC WM) (iNaturalist) on the mainland. Lactoridaceae (iNaturalist) (Flora of the World WM) from the Juan Fernandez Islands is also often considered an endemic family.

Endemic tree genera from the Juan Fernandez Islands include the Chonta Palm (RBGE), the Cabbage Tree Dendroseris (iNaturalist), Centaurodendron (iNaturalist), Robinsonia (IUCN), and Cuminia (ARKive WM). Mainland endemic tree genera include the Chilean Wine Palm (ARKive WM), Peumis (IDS), Legrandia (RBGE), Temu (iNaturalist), Gayella (RBGE), and Pitavia (iNaturalist). The Toromiro Tree Sophora toromiro (ARKive WM) is now extinct on Easter Island and survives only in cultivation. Other endemic mainland tree species include Podocarpus salignus (RBGE), the Chilean Laurel (iNaturalist), Citronella mucronata (iNaturalist), the Patagua (iNaturalist), Eucryphia glutinosa (iNaturalist), the Chilean Acorn (RBGE), the Chilean Guayacan (iNaturalist), and the Ruil (iNaturalist).

The plants of the Juan Fernandez Islands include 135 endemic species (Field Museum WM pdf) including the endemic genera Yunquea (iNaturalist) and Megalachne (iNaturalist). Endemic mainland genera include Adenopeltis (RBGE), Francoa (ChileFlora.com), the cacti Copiapoa (Copiapoa) and Miqueliopuntia (flickr), the Glory-of-the-sun (PBS), a bromeliad Ochagavia (ChileFlora.com), Atacamallium (Species New to Science), the Medallita (ChileFlora.com), and the Chilean Bellflower (iNaturalist). Other striking plants confined to Chile include the Lantern Tree (RBGE), the Chilean Blue Crocus (POWO), Alstroemeria magnifica (iNaturalist), the Butterfly-of-the-Coast (iNaturalist), the Sapphire Tower (iNaturalist), and the Flame Nasturtium (ChileFlora.com).

Mammals found exclusively in Chile include Darwin’s Fox (ARKive WM), the Juan Fernandez Fur Seal (ARKive WM), the Elegant Fat-tailed Opossum (Foto Naturaleza), the Common Degu (iNaturalist), Darwin's Leaf-eared Mouse (iNaturalist), the Dune Gerbil Mouse (CHC), Sanborn's Soft-haired Mouse (ARKive WM), Bennett's Chinchilla Rat (Foto Naturaleza), the Tawny Tuco-tuco (iNaturalist), and the Valparaiso Myotis (Santo Tomás). The Chilean Dolphin (iNaturalist) is known with certainty only from Chilean waters. Endemic genera of rodents include the Short-tailed Chinchilla (IUCN), the Chilean Long-clawed Mouse (ARKive WM), and the Coruro (iNaturalist).

Birds known only from mainland Chile include the Chilean Woodstar (eBird), the Crag Earthcreeper (Aves de Chile), the Chilean Tinamou (Aves de Chile), the Dusky Tapaculo (eBird), the Seaside Cinclodes (eBird), the Moustached Turca (Aves de Chile), the Tamarugo Conebill (eBird), and the Slender-billed Parakeet (eBird). Birds unique to the Juan Fernandez Islands include the Juan Fernandez Firecrown (eBird), the Masafuera Rayadito (Neotropical Birds WM), and the Juan Fernandez Tit-tyrant (eBird). The Subantarctic Rayadito (Nature) occurs only in the Diego Ramirez Archipelago. Seabirds breeding only in Chile include the Pink-footed Shearwater (eBird), the Masatierra Petrel (eBird), the Juan Fernandez Petrel (eBird), and the Pincoya Storm Petrel (Species New to Science).

Reptiles known only from Chile include the Chilean Long-tailed Snake (iNaturalist), the Chilean Racerunner (iNaturalist), the Chilean Marked Gecko (flickr), Valeria's Grumbler (iNaturalist), the Tarapaca Lava Lizard (ARKive WM), the Maule Fat Lizard (especies.mma.gob.cl WM), and over 60 species of Neotropical ground lizards such as Fabian's Lizard (iNaturalist), the Zapallar Lizard (iNaturalist), the Leopard Lizard (iNaturalist), and the Blackish-green Lizard (iNaturalist).

The Helmeted Water Toad (iNaturalist) and the four species of false toads Telmatobufo (iNaturalist) comprise the Calyptocephalellidae, an endemic family. Representing another almost endemic family is the Northern Darwin’s Frog (EDGE) (ARKive WM). Other endemic amphibians include Barrio’s Frog (iNaturalist), the Concepcion Toad (iNaturalist), the La Parva Spiny-chest Frog (Foto Naturaleza), the Vilama Water Frog (ResearchGate), Nibaldo's Wood Frog Batrachyla nibaldoi (Helen Díaz Páez), and the Mocha Island Ground Frog (CalPhotos).

Two families of freshwater fish are restricted to Chile: the Mountain Catfish in the Nematogenyidae (PlanetCatfish) (iNaturalist) and the southern basses in the Percilidae (FishBase) (iNaturalist). Additional endemic freshwater fish genera include Brachygalaxias (FishBase), Pseudorestias (PLOS), and Bullockia (ScotCat). Other endemic species include the Chilean Lamprey (especies chilenas), the Chilean Tetra (FishBase), the Chilean Pejerry (iNaturalist), the Shorttailed Silverside (BAUK), the Chungara Pupfish (ARKive WM), the Black Trout (FishBase), a velvet catfish Diplomystes incognitus (ResearchGate), and the Chungara Pencil Catfish (Univ. Chile pdf).

Endemic genera of marine fish include the Araucanian Herring Strangomera (Univ. Concepcion), the Reticulated Wrasse Malapterus (iNaturalist), a goby Ophiogobius (iNaturalist), and a sand stargazer Sindoscopus (iNaturalist). Easter Island has about 45 endemic marine fish species including the Easter Island Butterflyfish (iNaturalist), the Bluebelly Toby (FishBase), the Rapa Nui Splitfin (ResearchGate), the wrasses Pseudolabrus semifasciatus (Guardian) and Coris debueni (iNaturalist), Wilhelm's Squirrelfish (FishBase), the Rapa Nui Filefish (iNaturalist), the Rapa Nui Flagtail (iNaturalist), the Rapa Nui Fairy Basslet (ZooKeys), Chapman's Blenny (IUCN), Michel's Chromis (Species New to Science), the Rapa Nui Cardinalfish (FishBase), and the Pascua Goby (Zoological Studies pdf). Other Chilean endemic marine fish include the Juan Fernandez Trevally (iNaturalist), the Parrot Sandperch (iNaturalist), the Filetail Fanskate (FishBase), and the Fourteengill Hagfish (iNaturalist).

Endemic beetles include the longhorn beetles Acanthinodera cumingii (Surmagico WM) and Stenorhopalus flavicans (iNaturalist), the stag beetles Chiasognathus jousellinii (iNaturalist) and Erichius franzae (flickr), the darkling beetles Callyntra unicosta (iNaturalist) and Gyriosomus reedi (iNaturalist), the ground beetles Cylindera nahuelbutae (GBIF) and Cnemalobus nuria (iNaturalist), the scarabs Oogenius kuscheli (iNaturalist) and Modialis prasinella (iNaturalist), a jewel beetle Pterobothris barrigai (Coleoptera Neotropical WM), a lady beetle Hyperaspis sphaeridioides (Chinitas de Chile), the Juan Fernandez Diving Beetle (MbZ), and a weevil Aegorhinus albolineatus (iNaturalist).

Butterflies unique to Chile include Neomaenas poliozona (iNaturalist), Neosatyrus ambiorix (flickr), Elina vanessoides (entomologia.cl WM), Pseudolucia chilensis (flickr), Auca barrosi (iNaturalist), Argopteron puelmae (nuble naturaleza), and Butleria flavomaculatus (Natural Musings). Endemic moths include Polythysana cinerascens (iNaturalist) and Castnia eudesmia (p. 109 of Fundación R.A. Philippi pdf).

Endemic bee genera include Euherbstia (fig. 1A at ResearchGate), Orphana (Wikimedia Commons) (Abejas de Chile), Neofidelia (twitter WM), and Diphaglossa (iNaturalist). Other endemic insects include a dragonfly Phyllopetalia altarensis (iNaturalist), a damselfly Antiagrion antigone (iNaturalist), a stick insect Agathemera mesoauriculae (iNaturalist), a crane fly Tanyderus pictus (iNaturalist), a small-headed fly Lasia corvina (iNaturalist), a tiny grasshopper Illapelia penai (OSF), a planthopper Pseudoamycle polylepisae (GBIF), the cicadas Chilecicada occidentis (iNaturalist) and Citroriginis elongata (GBIF), a wingless wasp Euspinolia militaris (iNaturalist), and an ant Monomorium chilense (iNaturalist). Endemic insect families include a scorpionfly Eomeropidae (iNaturalist) (p. 111 of Fundación R.A. Philippi pdf) and a fly Evocoidae (Tree of Life WM) (BOLD).

Other invertebrates known solely from Chile include the tarantulas Thrixopelma pruriens (birdspiders.com WM) and Homoeomma chilensis (Tarantupedia), a jumping spider Trydarssus nobilitatus (iNaturalist), a scorpion Bothriurus keyserlingi (flickr), the harvestmen Sadocus ingens (ResearchGate) and Metagyndes innata (flickr), the millipedes Autostreptus chilensis (MNHN Chile) and Zinagon chilensis (p. 45 of insectachile.cl pdf), a cave-dwelling springtail Seira manukio (GBIF), a woodlouse Hawaiioscia rapui (ZooKeys), a subterranean amphipod Patagongidiella wefkoi (Revista Ciencias de la Tierra), a marine amphipod Liouvillea rocagloria (fig. 30g at ResearchGate), a freshwater crab Aegla papudo (iNaturalist), a hermit crab Calcinus pascuensis (Polynesian Crustacea WM), the Juan Fernandez Rock Lobster (iNaturalist), the velvet worms Metaperipatus inae and Metaperipatus blainvillei (Onychophora WM), a land planarian Pseudogeoplana reticulata (iNaturalist), and a sea cucumber Holothuria platei (iNaturalist). A leech Americobdellidae (iNaturalist) (Wikipedia) represents an endemic family.

Endemic molluscs include the land snail genera Macrocyclis (iNaturalist) and Chiliborus (iNaturalist), a freshwater snail Heleobia chimbaensis (GBIF), the freshwater mussels Diplodon solidulus (MUSSELp) and Pisidium llanquihuense (ResearchGate), Father Englert’s Cowrie Erosaria englerti (CGDP WM), a nudibranch Limacia antofagastensis (fig. H at ResearchGate), and the Rapanui Octopus Callistoctopus rapanui (moeVarua).

Endemic fungi include Butyriboletus loyo (IUCN) and Artomyces nothofagi (IUCN). Endemic lichens include Pterygiopsis foliacea (IUCN), Cenozosia cava (MycoKeys), and Caloplaca digitaurea (100 New Lichens WM). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Dicranella circinata (ResearchGate) and Ulota larrainii (ResearchGate), a liverwort Cheilolejeunea lumae (GBIF), and a hornwort Dendroceros cichoraceus (fig. 5 in Villareal Lab pdf). Endemic seaweeds include Padina fernandeziana (iNaturalist) and Codium cerebriforme (Algalab). Chondriella pusilla (BHL) from the Juan Fernandez Islands is the sole member of the endemic red algae family Chondriellaceae.

Much of Chile is included in the Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). In addition to mainland areas this hotspot includes the island ecoregions of the Juan Fernández Islands Temperate Forests (EoE) and the San Félix-San Ambrosio Islands Temperate Forests (EoE). The marine fauna of Easter Island is considered one of the world's most important marine centers of endemism (Columbia Univ. WM pdf). An extensive overview of Chile's biota is at (ciren WM) and information on endemic plants can be found at (RGBE) and endemic plants and animals at (especies.mma.gob.cl).