Vanuatu

Birds found nowhere else include the Vanuatu Scrubfowl (eBird) (VPAI WM), the Vanuatu Imperial-pigeon (eBird), the Tanna Fruit-dove (eBird), the Vanuatu Kingfisher (eBird), the Vanuatu Honeyeater (eBird), the Vanuatu White-eye (eBird), the Vanuatu Streaked Fantail (Cornell), the Santo Thicketbird (twitter WM) (eBird), and the Mountain Starling (VESS pdf). Additional species sometime recognized as distinct are the Royal Parrotfinch (eBird) and the Vanuatu Petrel (eBird) which may be a breeding endemic. The Buff-bellied Monarch (eBird) is an endemic genus. Extinct species include the Tanna Ground-dove (Wikipedia).

Mammals unique to Vanuatu include the Vanuatu Flying Fox Pteropus anetianus (VESS pdf) (iNaturalist) and the Banks Flying Fox Pteropus fundatus (fig. 1B at ResearchGate) (BHL).

Endemic reptiles include the Toupeed Skink Emoia sanfordi (WTEC WM) (iNaturalist), the Vanuatu Coppery Vine Skink Emoia nigromarginata (iNaturalist), the Anatom Tree Skink Emoia aneityumensis (iNaturalist), the Erronan Tree Skink Emoia erronan (Google Books), the Vanuatu Snake-eyed Skink Cryptoblepharus novohebridicus (Reptile Database) (iNaturalist), the Vanuatu Saw-tailed Gecko Perochirus guentheri (ResearchGate), the Vanuatu Forest Gecko Lepidodactylus vanuatuensis (Reptile Database), and the Vanuatu Ant-nest Gecko Lepidodactylus buleli (ResearchGate).

Freshwater fish restricted to Vanuatu include the gobies Stiphodon astilbos (Ryan Photographic pdf), Stiphodon kalfatak (ResearchGate), Sicyopterus aiensis (ResearchGate), and Akihito (or Sicyopus) vanuatu (Species New to Science).

Endemic marine fish include the Hooded Fairy Wrasse Cirrhilabrus efatensis (ResearchGate), a flounder Engyprosopon vanuatuensis (Springer) (IUCN), the Vanuatu Goatfish Upeneus vanuatu (GBIF), the Vanuatu Scorpionfish Neomerinthe harenartis (Kagoshima Univ.), a collared wriggler Xenisthmus chapmani (BHL), a finless snake eel Apterichtus jeffwilliamsi (GBIF), the Lemon Pygmygoby Trimma citrum (FishBase) (zenodo), a duckbill eel Nettenchelys paxtoni (GBIF), and the Strange Skate Notoraja inusitata (Internet Archive).

Butterflies known solely from Vanuatu include Polyura sacco (iNaturalist) (fig. 12 at BHL), Hypolimnas aurifascia (BHL), and Deudorix mathewi (Wikispecies). Endemic moths include a swallowtail moth Lyssa curvata (iNaturalist), a sphinx moth Gnathothlibus saccoi (BOLD), and an erebid moth Tabwecala robinsoni (Nota Lepidopterologica).

Other endemic insects include the damselflies Vanuatubasis santoensis (ResearchGate) and Vanuatubasis kapularum (ZooKeys), a dragonfly Gynacantha vanuatua (GBIF), a grasshopper Hebridea rufotibialis (ResearchGate), the katydids Ityocephala francoisi (ResearchGate) and Salomona redtenbacheri (ResearchGate) (OSF), the crickets Microbinthus santoensis (IUCN) and Cardiodactylus enkraussi (iNaturalist), a raspy cricket Hugelgryllacris tchancha (GBIF), the stick insects Megacrania speiseri (BioOne) and Asprenas crassipes (GBIF), the ants Leptogenys hebrideana (AntWiki) and Metapone nivanuatu (AntWiki), the bees Homalictus tannaensis (GBIF) and Lasioglossum vanuatu (p. 6 of Atlas Hymenoptera WM pdf), a termite Cryptotermes penaoru (ZooKeys), the flower beetles Poecilopharis flavens (iNaturalist) and Glycyphana mirei (GBIF), a stag beetle Bomansius cheesmanae (ResearchGate), a firefly Atyphella maritimus (GBIF), a hister beetle Acritus sanma (Internet Archive), a lace bug Idiocysta vanuatuensis (p. 4 of EJE pdf), a checkered beetle Omadius santo (p. 15 of LSU WM pdf), a darkling beetle Uloma vanuatensis (ResearchGate), a firefly Atyphella maritimus (GBIF), the longhorned beetles Psalidocoptus scaber (Prioninae of the World) and Melanesiandra anatomensis (Univ. Nebraska pdf), the weevils Elytrurus caudatus (iNaturalist) and Celeuthetes hebridarum (iNaturalist), a hoverfly Ceriana oceanica (GBIF), a fruit fly Bactrocera neoxanthodes (PLAZI), and a mayfly Caenis vanuatensis (ResearchGate).

A rich endemic land mollusc fauna includes a slug Semperula solemi (BHL) and several snails: Partula auraniana (IUCN), Partula milleri (fig 8 at BHL), Georissa obsoleta (BHL), Reticharopa latecosta (fig. 198G at academia.edu), Diplomorpha delautourii (fig. 202G at academia.edu), Dendrotrochus layardi (fig. 201G at academia.edu), and Placostylus bicolor (fig. 202A at academia.edu). Other endemic molluscs include a freshwater snail Fluviopupa espiritusantoana (ResearchGate) and the marine snails Conus hervillardi (GBIF) and Liotipoma magna (Eddie Hardy).

Other endemic invertebrates include a springtail Yuukianura judithae (ResearchGate), a jumping spider Araneotanna ornatipes (jumping-spiders.com), a crab spider Diaea bipunctata (fig. 4 at BHL) (iNaturalist), a scorpion Lychas santoensis (p. 4 of MNHN pdf), the harvestmen Santobius spinitarsus (ResearchGate) and Zalmoxis bilbo (p. 11 of Sharma Lab WM pdf), the millipedes Eutrichodesmus communicans (flickr) and Lobiferodesmus vanuatu (KMK pdf), a tree-climbing mangrove crab of the genus Scandarma (p. 7 of SNF WM pdf), a cave-dwelling crab Karstarma umbra (J-Stage pdf), a freshwater hermit crab Clibanarius fonticola (Wikipedia), a freshwater isopod Exosphaeroides quirosi (GBIF), an earthworm Pheretima speiseri (BHL), a starfish Iconaster vanuatuensis (GBIF) (p. 19 of Smithsonian pdf), Nautilus vanuatuensis (ZooKeys), a bryozoan Drepanophora gutta (bryozoa.net), and a crinoid Capillaster squarrosus (ResearchGate). A parasitic flatworm Gekkonotrema postporum (Internet Archive) discovered in geckos from Vanuatu is the sole member of the family Gekkonotrematidae.

About 150 vascular plant species are exclusive to Vanuatu including several orchids include Dendrobium pseudorarum (IOSPE WM), Dendrobium mooreanum (Prof. Summer's Web Garden WM) (iNaturalist), Bulbophyllum vutimenaense (JSTOR), Agrostophyllum clausum (BHL), Phreatia vanuatensis (JSTAGE pdf), and Malaxis iwashinae (Prof. Summer's Web Garden WM). Other endemic plants include an ant plant Squamellaria vanuatuensis (ResearchGate), Psychotria aneityensis (JSTOR), Pseuderanthemum longifolium (POWO), Solanum vanuatuense (iNaturalist), Hoya vanuatensis (BHL), Medinilla heteromorphophylla (fig. 4C at BioOne), Cyrtandra efatensis (JSTOR), Salacia aneityensis (Vanuaflora WM), Peperomia pallidinervis (iNaturalist), Phlegmariurus vanuatuensis (GBIF) (POWO), Phaleria pentecostalis (iNaturalist), Vaccinium macgillivrayi (Vanuaflora), Ventilago vanuatuana (fig. 6 at BioOne), and Tmesipteris vanuatensis (fig. 2B at BioOne).

Trees known only from Vanuatu include the Santo Kauri Agathis silbae (RBGE) (VESS pdf), the Variegated Clown Fig Ficus aspera (TopTropicals.com), Gardenia tannaensis (JSTOR), Syzygium aneityense (fig. 4G at BioOne), Pittosporum campbellii (Vanuaflora WM), Plerandra (or Schefflera) vanuatua (p. 32 of SNF WM pdf), Geissois denhamii (p. 9 of Springer pdf), Polyscias schmidii (ResearchGate), Eumachia (or Psychotria) aneityensis (JSTOR) (Vanuaflora), Ixora asme (Vanuaflora WM), Kermadecia (or Turrillia) lutea (Internet Archive), Didymocheton aneityensis (fig. 4D at zenodo), Claoxylon gillisonii (Vanuaflora WM), Cryptocarya tannaensis (Vanuaflora), Astronidium aneityense (Vanuaflora), Maesa banksiana (Vanuaflora WM), Ochrosia alyxioides (Vanuaflora WM), Oxera vanuatuensis (iNaturalist), Pandanus halleorum (fig. 3D at BioOne), Endiandra aneityensis (Vanuaflora WM), Glochidion namilo (iNaturalist), and a number of palms: Caryota ophiopellis (PACSOA WM), Veitchia metiti (Palmpedia), Clinostigma harlandii (PACSOA WM), Heterospathe uniformis (IPS WM pdf), Cyphosperma voutmelense (ResearchGate), and an endemic genus Carpoxylon (iNaturalist) (ARKive WM).

Lichens known only from Vanuatu include Gassicurtia albomarginata (ResearchGate) and Herpothallon alae (p. 65 of ANBG pdf). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Epipterygium vanuatuicum (JSTOR) and Barbula aneitensis (GBIF) and the liverworts Plicanthus difficilis (p. 5 of Phytotaxa pdf) and Cololejeunea retusula (GBIF).

Vanuatu is included in the Vanuatu Rain Forests terrestrial ecoregion (EoE) and the East Melanesian Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). For more information on the endemic species of Vanuatu see the National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (CBD pdf) and "The Natural History of Santo" (IRD pdf).