Samoa

The Manumea or Tooth-billed Pigeon (EDGE) (IDS WM) represents an endemic genus. Birds found nowhere else include the Flat-billed Kingfisher (eBird), the Mao (ARKive WM) (eBird), the Samoan Whistler (eBird), the Samoan Triller (iNaturalist), the Samoan Fantail (eBird), the Samoan Flycatcher (eBird), and the Samoan White-eye (Theme Birds on Stamps). The Samoan Moorhen (Wikimedia Commons) has long been thought extinct, but possible recent sightings suggest that it may still survive. The Red-headed Parrotfinch Erythrura cyaneovirens (iNaturalist) (flickr) is sometimes considered to represent an endemic species distinct from those on Vanuatu. Additional endemic species have been proposed (ResearchGate) including the Samoan Wood Pigeon Columba castaneiceps (iNaturalist) (eBird), the Samoan Robin Petroica pusilla (iNaturalist), and the Samoan Thrush Turdus samoensis (Google Books) (eBird).

The Small Samoan Flying Fox Pteropus allenorum (BHL) is known from a single specimen collected in 1856 on Upolu and is presumed extinct.

Taei's Dwarfgoby Eviota taeiae (OSF pdf) is an endemic marine fish.

Land snails unique to Samoa include Samoana stevensoniana (Samoan Land Snails WM), Eua expansa (Samoan Land Snails WM), Succinea putamen (Samoan Land Snails WM), Lamprocystis perpolita (Samoan Land Snails WM), Ostodes savaii (Google Books), Pleuropoma plicatilis (Samoan Land Snails WM), and Thaumatodon hystricelloides (Google Books). Endemic arachnids include a jumping spider Rarahu nitida (jumping-spiders.com), an orb weaver spider Hortophora viridis (Evolutionary Systematics), an intertidal spider Desis vorax (Evolutionary Systematics), a cobweb spider Cyllognatha affinis (BHL), and the world's smallest spider Patu marplesi (rsnz.natlib.govt.nz) (Facebook) with a minimum length of 0.43 mm. Other endemic invertebrates include a pseudoscorpion Haplochernes (or Chelifer) buxtoni (BHL), a woodlouse Spherillo spicatus (BHL), a lava tube-dwelling marine shrimp Betaeopsis (or Hamalpheus) acanthops (fig. 2 of NASA pdf), a water flea Diaphanosoma samoaensis (fig. 35 at ResearchGate), a freshwater snail Melanoides peregrina (fig. 16 at BHL), a marine snail Chicoreus tangaroai (ResearchGate), and a chiton Callochiton mumuena (Het Natuurhistorisch pdf).

Endemic butterflies include the Samoan Eggfly Hypolimnas errabunda (BOLD) (p. 2 of CEPF pdf) and the Samoan Ranger Phalanta exulans (BOLD) (p. 117 of CEPF pdf). Endemic moths include a hawk moth Gnathothlibus samoaensis (BHL), a lichen moth Monosyntaxis samoensis (p. 1 of SPREP WM pdf), a crambid moth Glaucocharis dialitha (p. 121 of SPREP WM pdf), and several endemic genera of erebids: Cymodegma, Machaeropalpus, and Anomocala (all at Internet Archive).

Other endemic insects include the katydids Phisis parapallida (OSF) and Rhaphidophora rechingeri (BHL), a cricket Apteronemobius longipes (BHL), the damselflies Pseudagrion samoense (p. 50 of IDF pdf) and Pacificagrion lachrymosa (GBIF), a dragonfly Hemicordulia cupricolor (GBIF) (ResearchGate), a cicada Moana expansa (Google Books), a longhorn beetle Paratrypanius bipunctatus (Cerambycidae Species WM), a ground beetle Bryanites graeffii (BHL), a stag beetle Aegus upoluensis (BHL), a weevil Spanochelus planirostris (BHL), the ants Adelomyrmex samoanus (AntWiki) and Vollenhovia pacifica (AntWiki), a shield bug Glaucias samoanus (iNaturalist), a plant bug Pilophorus samoanus (Discover Life), a planthopper Buxtoniella hopkinsi (ResearchGate), a burrowing bug Peltoscytus samoanus (Opole Univ. WM pdf), and a fruit fly Bactrocera samoae (PLAZI).

Orchid species exclusive to Samoa include Dendrobium flammeus (Flora of Samoa), Dendrobium scirpoides (p. 176 of CEPF pdf), Corybas betchei (p. 174 of CEPF pdf), and Taeniophyllum savaiiense (p. 197 of CEPF pdf). Other endemic vacular plants include Astelia samoense (iNaturalist), Elatostema glanduliferum (iNaturalist), Glochidion christophersenii (iNaturalist), Trichosanthes reineckeana (IUCN), Homalanthus acuminatus (iNaturalist), Hoya mata-ole-afiensis (BHL), Hoya lanotooensis (BHL), Hoya malata (BHL), Joinvillea bryanii (p. 47 of botany.hawaii.edu pdf), Vaccinium whitmeei (iNaturalist), Peperomia rechingerae (iNaturalist), Scaevola samoensis (iNaturalist), Cyrtandra pogonantha (iNaturalist), Pittosporum samoense (iNaturalist), Orthiopteris samoensis (GBIF), Hymenasplenium samoaense (Jepson), and Rapanea (or Myrsine) longipes (JSTOR).

Trees known only from Samoa include the palms Clinostigma samoense (ARKive WM) (iNaturalist) and Metroxylon paulcoxii (p. 4 of Agroforestry Net pdf), Astronidium subcordatum (iNaturalist), Huberantha whistleri (ResearchGate), Eumachia vaupelii (iNaturalist), Cryptocarya samoensis (GBIF), Melicope sulcata (JSTOR), Metrosideros gregoryi (JSTOR), Elaeocarpus magnifolius (iNaturalist), Manilkara samoensis (Facebook) (p. 151 of CEPF pdf), Reynoldsia (or Polyscias) pleiosperma (p. 37 of SPREP WM pdf) (iNaturalist), Abutilon whistleri (IUCN), Psychotria bristolii (p. 140 of CEPF pdf), Psychotria grandistipulata (iNaturalist), Coprosma savaiiensis (iNaturalist), Sarcopygme (or Morinda) intermedia (JSTOR), Macaranga savaiiensis (iNaturalist), Meryta malietoa (BHL), Syzygium graeffei (BHL), Ficus samoensis (GBIF), and Alectryon samoensis (Samoa Observer). Solfia (Palmpedia) is sometimes recognized as an endemic genus of palm distinct from Balaka.

Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Endotrichella irwinii (GBIF) and Ectropothecium rechingeri (GBIF) and the liverworts Bazzania acinaciformis (GBIF) and Cheilolejeunea upoluensis (p. 114 of DiVA pdf). Endemic lichens include Graphina samoana (Tropical Lichens WM). Marine algae known only from Samoa includes Ceramium rintelsianum (p. 18 of Cite Seer X WM pdf).

Samoa is part of the Polynesia-Micronesia biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM) and, along with American Samoa, comprises the Samoan Tropical Moist Forests ecoregion (EoE). For more details on the plants and animals of Samoa see the rapid biodiversity assessment for upland Savai'i (SPREP WM pdf). For plant species endemic to the Samoan Archipelago see (Flora of Samoa).