Animals and Plants Unique to Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan

Freshwater fish found exclusively in Lake Issyk Kul include Schmidt’s Dace Leuciscus schmidti (NOAA WM), the Issyk-Kul Dace Leuciscus bergi (iNaturalist) (GLIN), and the Issyk-Kul Minnow Phoxinus issykkulensis (BHL). Other endemic fish include another loach Dzihunia turdakovi (IUCN). The Issyk-Kul Gudgeon Gobio latus (BHL) (IUCN) is sometimes recognized as a species distinct from the more widespread Gobio gobio (FishBase).

Reptiles found nowhere else include the Alay Viper Gloydius rickmersi (Species New to Science) (iNaturalist), the Tien Shan Even-fingered Gecko Altiphylax tokobajevi (iNaturalist) (Google Books), Szczerbak's Racerunner Eremias szczerbaki (lacerta.de) (iNaturalist), and the Naryn Thin-toed Gecko Mediodactylus narynense (iNaturalist) (Google Books).

Butterflies unique to Kyrgyzstan include Churkin's Apollo (Lepiforum), a clouded yellow Colias regia (iNaturalist) (euroleps.ch), Paralasa horaki (rusinsects.com), Melitaea ludmilla (rusinsects.com), Melanargia repentina (figs. 1-12 at ResearchGate), Chazara eitschbergeri (BOLD), and several blues: Plebejus sarydzhazi (p. 2 of Zoomet.ru pdf), Plebejus arpa (zobodat pdf), Plebejus mellarius (p. 15 of zobodat pdf), Athamanthia eitschbergeri (BOLD), and Neolycaena medea (SZMN WM). Endemic moths include a twirler moth Megacraspedus pototskii (fig. 110 at ZooKeys), a crambid moth Hyperlais orodruinella (GBIF), and a tiger moth Eudiaphora tienshanensis (fig. C at ResearchGate).

Other endemic insects include a jewel beetle Acmaeodera lopatini (zin.ru), a ground beetle Cyclocarabus pseudolamprostus (p. 13 of JSTAGE pdf), the longhorn beetles Kirgisobia bohnei (zin.ru) and Dorcadion danilevskyi (iNaturalist), the click beetles Cardiophorus terskeyensis (Elateridae) and Hypnoidus narynensis (Elateridae), the rove beetles Scymbalopsis kirghizica (fig. 2 at aemnp pdf) and Lathrobium klimenkoi (ResearchGate), an earth-boring dung beetle Lethrus toropovi (GBIF), a flea beetle Longitarsus nadiae (GBIF), the bees Melitta engeli (ResearchGate) and Thyreomelecta kirghisia (BHL), a cuckoo wasp Hedychridium karakolense (ResearchGate), and the grasshoppers Conophyma alajense (OSF) and Ferganacris mushketovi (SZMN WM).

Other endemic invertebrates include Ovchinnikov's Relic Spider Tricholathys relicta (p. 248 of Living Asia WM pdf), a jumping spider Chalcoscirtus nenilini (salticidae.pl WM), a wolf spider Karakumosa tashkumyr (ResearchGate), the harvestmen Pamiropilio naukat (fig. 45 at ResearchGate) and Homolophus milkoi (GBIF), a dipluran Kyrgyzstancampa sanare (MNHN), a cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion Chthonius kirghisicus (Subterranean Biology), a centipede Escaryus kirgizicus (CHILOBASE), a millipede Elongeuma reductum (fig. 1 at KMK pdf), an amphipod crustacean Tadzocrangonyx alaicus (GBIF), a freshwater snail Chirgisia alaarchaensis (Semantic Scholar), and several land snails: Archaica suspecta (MSU), Siraphoroides moltschanovi (Femorale WM), and Leucozonella crassicosta (SZMN WM).

Among about 326 vascular plant species restricted to Kyrgyzstan are Seseli eryngioides (fig. 2G at ResearchGate), Eremurus zoae (plantarium.ru), Tulipa zonneveldii (IUCN), Allium pseudowinklerianum (plantarum.ru), Jurinea narynensis (plantarium.ru), Delphinium knorringianum (plantarium.ru), Gagea spelaea (Sciency Thoughts), Phlomoides korovinii (plantarium.ru), Silene fetissovii (fig. 7G at ResearchGate), Acantholimon knorringianum (map.kg), Iris rodionenkoi (plantarium.ru), Tanacetopsis ferganensis (fig. 7H at ResearchGate) Astragalus bosbutooensis (plantarium.ru), Primula eugeniae (plantarium.ru), Corydalis subverticillata (Turczaninowia WM pdf), Atraphaxis toktogulica (plantarium.ru), Campanula eugeniae (p. 180 of FAO pdf), Ligularia philanthrax (ResearchGate), Richteria brachanthemoides (plantarium.ru), Prunus susakensis (herbariumle.ru), Leibnitzia knorringiana (plantarium.ru), Crataegus knorringiana (plantarium.ru), the legumes Chesneya villosa (p. 150 of Living Asia WM pdf) and Hedysarum sultanovae (plantarium.ru), Scutellaria botbaevae (plantarium.ru), and Salvia vvedenskyi (plantarium.ru). The endemic plant genus Tianschaniella (plantarium.ru) is often treated as distinct from Eritrichium.

Lichens known only from Kyrgyzstan include Aspicilia digitata (ResearchGate) and Seirophora tenera (Graphis Scripta pdf). Fungi known only from Kyrgyzstan include Hemimycena phlomisii (ResearchGate). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Bryum congestiflorum (GBIF) and Tortula paulsenii (BHL).

Kyrgyzstan is included in the Mountains of Central Asia biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Lake Issyk Kul (FEOW) is one of the world's oldest lakes. For more information on the country's endemic animals and plants see the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (CBD pdf) and for endemic plant species see (FAO pdf). Plant species endemic to both Kyrgyzstan and the Tian Shan Mountains are listed at (ResearchGate).