United States Virgin Islands
Reptiles found nowhere else include the St. Croix Dwarf Gecko Sphaerodactylus beattyi (iNaturalist), the St. Croix Anole Anolis acutus (iNaturalist), the St. Croix Ground Lizard Pholidoscelis polops (ARKive WM) (iNaturalist), the Greater St. Croix Skink Spondylurus magnacruzae (Caribbean Herpetology WM pdf), the Lesser St. Croix Skink Capitellum parvicruzae (PLAZI), the Greater Virgin Islands Skink Spondylurus spilonotus (IUCN) (PLAZI), and the extinct St. Croix Racer Borikenophis sanctaecrucis (GBIF) (caribherp WM).
The Virgin Islands Robber Frog or Mute Frog Eleutherodactylus lentus (iNaturalist) (ARKive WM) is an endemic amphibian.
A
basslet Liopropoma
(or Flagelloserranus)
danae (FishBase)
(Kobenhavns
Univ. WM)
is a marine fish known only from the type locality, but it is likely a
synonym of the more widespread Peppermint Basslet Liopropoma rubre
(p. 41 of Zootaxa
pdf). The Blackspot Blenny Starksia
melasma (p. 7 of Smithsonian
pdf) is known only from reefs off St. Croix and Desecheo Island in
Puerto Rico.
Insects unique to the U.S. Virgin Islands include a longhorn beetle Cyanomethia pseudothonalmus
(PLAZI),
a click beetle Platyparadonus
taino (GBIF),
a leaf beetle Homoschema
pingue (eol)
(fig. 13 at BHL),
a tumbling flower beetle Mordellistena
irfianorum (p. 14 of Oxford
Academic WM pdf), the flea beetles Hermaeophaga maldonadoi
(GBIF)
and Longitarsus
rhabdotus (GBIF)
(BHL),
the weevils Pandeleteius
anneae (ResearchGate)
and Sicoderus
hirsutiventris (GBIF),
a
tortrix moth Episimus
coleus (GBIF),
the leaf blotch miner moths Acrocercops
attenuatum (fig. 79 at Smithsonian
pdf) and Phyllonorycter argentifrontella
(fig. 59 at Smithsonian
pdf), a
cricket Hapithus
crucis (GBIF),
an ant Temnothorax
magnabulla (GBIF),
a spider wasp Notoplaniceps
prolixa (GBIF),
a flower fly Toxomerus
rohri (GBIF),
and a termite Neotermes
intracaulis (ResearchGate).
Other
endemic invertebrates include a goblin spider Heteroonops croix (AMNH
WM),
the jumping spiders Menemerus
kochi (BHL)
and Tomis pavidus
(jumping-spiders.com)
(BHL),
a cribellate orb weaver Miagrammopes
pinopus (p. 61 of INPA
WM pdf), a tiny scorpion Microtityus
waeringi (BHL)
(p. 63 of npshistory.com
WM
pdf),
a tailless whip scorpion Charinus
muchmorei (BHL),
a harvestman Heterolacurbs ovalis
(ResearchGate),
the pseudoscorpions Bituberochernes
jonensis (Univ.
Rochester) and Caribchthonius
butleri (Florida
Entomologist pdf) and Parachelifer
parvus (p. 75 of npshistory.com
WM
pdf),
a centipede Cormocephalus
impulsus
(CHILOBASE),
the millipedes Siphonophora
albiceps (Florida
Entomologist) and Rhinocricus
thomasianus (BHL),
a springtail Calx
neryi (ResearchGate),
a copepod Cletocamptus
tainoi (GBIF),
a clam shrimp Eulimnadia
insularis (uvi.edu
WM),
the land snails Parachondria
basicarinatus (BHL)
and Chondropoma
rufilabre (BHL),
and a marine snail Hinea
nucleola (fig. 3C at ZooKeys).
Vascular
plants species known exclusively from the U.S. Virgin Islands include
Egger’s Agave Agave
eggersiana (FWS
WM)
(iNaturalist),
the
St. Thomas Staggerbush Lyonia
rubiginosa (p. 43 of IRF
WM
pdf),
Earhart’s Stopper Eugenia
earhartii (CPD)
(VI
Daily News),
Physalis eggersii
(JSTOR)
(BHL),
Salvia thomasiana
(GBIF)
(BHL),
and Richard's Clearweed Pilea
richardii (GBIF) (BHL).
The
United States Virgin Islands are part of the Caribbean
Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM)