Micronesia

Birds found nowhere else include the Caroline Ground-dove (eBird), the Pohnpei Fruit-dove (eBird), the Kosrae Fruit-dove (eBird), the Pohnpei Lorikeet (iNaturalist), the Pohnpei Kingfisher (eBird), the Caroline Swiftlet (eBird), the Chuuk Monarch (eBird), the Yap Monarch (iNaturalist), the Chuuk Flycatcher (eBird), the Pohnpei Flycatcher (eBird), the Pohnpei Fantail (eBird), the Yap Cicadabird (iNaturalist), the Pohnpei Cicadabird (Cornell), the Kosrae White-eye (eBird), the Pohnpei White-eye (eBird), the Yap Olive White-eye (eBird), the Yap Plain White-eye (eBird), the Caroline Reed-warbler (eBird), the Pohnpei Starling (Wikipedia), and the extinct Kosrae Starling (BHL) and Kosrae Crake (Wikipedia) (p. 10 of publikace.nm pdf). The Teardrop White-eye (ARKive WM) and the Long-billed White-eye (eBird) represent an endemic genus.

Mammals unique to Micronesia include the Kosrae Flying Fox (iNaturalist) (ScienceDirect), the Chuuk Flying Fox (Mongabay) (iNaturalist), and the Caroline Flying Fox (iNaturalist) (p. 11 of BirdQuest WM pdf). The Yap Flying Fox (iNaturalist) is sometimes considered a full species.

Endemic reptiles include the Pohnpei Skink Emoia ponapea (fig. h at BHL), the Mortlock Forest Gecko Lepidodactylus oligoporus (GBIF) (ScholarSpace pdf), the Ulithi Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops hatmaliyeb (iNaturalist), the Ant Atoll Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops adocetus (USDA WM pdf). The Giant Saw-scaled Gecko Perochirus scutellatus (ScholarSpace pdf) (figs. 26-30 at BHL) may also be endemic.

Freshwater fish restricted to Micronesia include several gobies: Sicyopterus lividus (COM-FSM WM), Sicyopterus eudentatus (iNaturalist), Smilosicyopus nigriradiatus (fig. c on p. 2 of BOREA pdf), Stiphodon caeruleus (iNaturalist) (Loaches Online Forum), and Lentipes caroline (BOREA pdf) (iNaturalist).

Endemic marine fish include the Incandescent Hamlet Liopropoma incandescens (ZooKeys), the Yellowaxil Damselfish Pomacentrus flavoaxillaris (ResearchGate), the Pohnpei Coralbrotula Diancistrus pohnpeiensis (FishBase), the Vertical Hover Goby Parioglossus verticalis (p. 26 of Australian Museum pdf), the Yellowspot Groppo Grammatonotus xanthostigma (Reef Builders), the Barred Groppo Grammatonotus pelipel (GBIF), the Kapingamarangi Surgeonfish Acanthurus chronixis (IUCN) (Cite Seer X WM pdf), and the Caroline Anchovy Stolephorus multibranchus (FishBase) (J-STAGE pdf).

Insects found only in Micronesia include the dragonflies Hemicordulia erico (Kyushu Univ. Museum WM) and Agrionoptera sanguinolenta (iNaturalist), the damselflies Teinobasis ariel (GBIF) and Teinobasis budeni (ResearchGate), a leaf insect Cryptophyllium yapicum (GBIF), the leafroller moths Adoxophyes poecilogramma (Tortricid.net WM) and Dudua proxima (GBIF), a pyralid moth Endotricha separata (figs. 149-150 at BHL), a grass moth Haritalodes kosralis (PLAZI), a raspy cricket Gryllacris modestipennis (OSF), the katydids Phaulula carolinensis (iNaturalist) and Phisis vittata (OSF), the longhorn beetles Ropica yapana (Smithsonian WM) and Examnes ponapensis (Smithsonian WM), a ground beetle Ponapagonum dybasi (p. 24 of Bishop Museum WM pdf), a click beetle Simodactylus decoratus (p. 25 of Bishop Museum WM pdf), a minute tree-fungus beetle Scolytocis insularis (ResearchGate), a bark beetle Hemicryphalus atomus (Bark Beetles WM), a stag beetle Figulus luminosus (Un Monde en Couleurs), a stink bug Glaucias lucidus (fig. 7a at Bishop Museum WM pdf), a plant bug Creontiades yapensis (fig. 47 at Bishop Museum WM pdf), the flower flies Dissoptera yapensis (GBIF) and Archimicrodon purpurescens (GBIF), the bees Hylaeus chuukensis (Frontiers) and Lasioglossum nummatum (Smithsonian) and Halictus auriger (Smithsonian), a wasp Pison ponape (GBIF), and the ants Camponotus erythrocephalus (AntWiki) and Vollenhovia kaselela (AntWiki).

Endemic land snails include Thaanumella cookei (ResearchGate), Partula emersoni (IUCN), Partula martensiana (figs. 15 & 16 at BHL), Ponapella pihapiha (p. 2 of Bishop Museum WM pdf), Brazieria lutaria (conchology.be), Palaina doliolium (Femorale WM), Trochomorpha contigua (Femorale WM), Kusaiea frivola (Femorale WM), and Kubaryiellus kubaryi and Russatus nigrescens (both at BHL).

Other endemic invertebrates include the jumping spiders Sobasina yapensis (BHL) and Phintella planiceps (BHL), a wolf spider Zoica carolinensis (BHL), the Chuuk Islands Giant Millipede Acladocricus setigerus (ScholarSpace pdf), another millipede Eurhinocricus naufragus (BHL), a centipede Cormocephalus amphieurys (fig. 15 at BHL), a harvestman Strandibalonius esakii (fig. 3 of Bishop Museum WM pdf), a freshwater shrimp Caridina variabilirostris (Species New to Science), a freshwater amphipod Floresorchestia pohnpei (GBIF), a freshwater snail Thaanumella angulosa (Femorale WM), the marine gastropods Vexillum oterai (figs. 1-3 at BHL) and Leucorhynchia kosraensis (GBIF), a marine amphipod Elasmopus aduncus (Semantic Scholar), and a sponge Coscinoderma wenoa (ResearchGate).

Among more than 100 vascular plant species known solely from Micronesia (ResearchGate) are the peppers Piper ponapense (COM-FSM WM) and Peperomia kusaiensis (iNaturalist), a giant ginger Alpinia carolinensis (COM-FSM WM), a tree fern Cyathea nigricans (COM-FSM WM), Cyrtandra kusaimontana (iNaturalist), Cyrtandra urvillei (iNaturalist), Selaginella kusaiensis (iNaturalist), Medinella diversifolia (flickr) (iNaturalist), Calymmodon ponapensis (iNaturalist), Hoya schneei (iNaturalist), Mapania pacifica (iNaturalist), Hedyotis ponapensis (iNaturalist), Thelypteris ponapeana (iNaturalist), Oreogrammitis scleroglossoides (iNaturalist), Elaphoglossum carolinense (iNaturalist), and several orchids: Dendrobium kraemeri (IOSPE WM), Dendrobium adamsii (iNaturalist), Phreatia pacifica (TAI WM), and Glomera carolinensis (HUH).

Trees known only from Micronesia includethe Ka Tree Terminalia carolinensis (flickr) (iNaturalist), Horsfieldia nunu (iNaturalist), Astronidium ponapense (flickr), Astronidium carolinense (iNaturalist), Claoxylon carolinianum (iNaturalist), Palaquium karrak (GBIF), a mangosteen Garcinia volkensii (p. 82 of USFS WM pdf), Trichospermum ikutae (p. 241 of USFS WM pdf), Drypetes yapensis (p. 93 of USFS WM pdf), Ilex volkensiana (iNaturalist), Polyscias subcapitata (iNaturalist), Timonius albus (p. 215 of USFS WM pdf), Elaeocarpus carolinensis (iNaturalist), Planchonella micronesica (iNaturalist), Psychotria rhombocarpa (iNaturalist), and several palms: Clinostigma ponapensis (COM-FSM WM), Metroxylon amicarum (ARKive WM), Ponapea hosinoi (flickr), and Ponapea ledermanniana (Palmpedia).

Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Drepanolejeunea canceroides (GBIF) and Riccardia trukensis (fig. 39 at Micronesica pdf) and several mosses: Taxiphyllum whittierianum (fig. 44 at Micronesica pdf), Fissidens kondoi (Fig. 3 at J-STAGE pdf), and Dicranella ponapensis (fig. 4 at Micronesica pdf). Marine algae known only from Micronesia include Dictyosphaeria mutica (macroalgae.org).

Micronesia includes the Carolines Tropical Moist Forests (EoE) and the Yap Tropical Dry Forests (EoE) ecoregions and is part of the Polynesia-Micronesia biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). For overviews of the biodiversity of Micronesia see (pp. 32 & 72 of SIDS WM pdf) and (SPREP pdf).