Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vjetrenica Cave (vjetrenica.com)
with over 30 species of invertebrates found nowhere else (see p. 77 of CBD pdf file) is recognized
as one of the world's most important caves for biodiversity (caves.org
pdf file). Among Vjetrenica's unique
species are a ground beetle Scotoplanetes
arenstorffianus (Biologiezentrum
pdf file),
two round fungus beetles Hadesia
vasiceki (Devon Karst) and Nauticiella stygivaga
(p. 17 of mzp.cz pdf file), a hydra Velkovrhia
enigmatica (p. 3 of Speleolivorno
pdf file), and a leech Dina
absoloni (p. 6 of Speleolivorno
pdf file).
Other invertebrates known solely from Bosnia and Herzegovina include a
snail Cochlostoma
mostarense (AnimalBase), the weevils Paratyphloporus zoufali (curci.de) and Brachysomus dubius (p. 4 of zin.ru pdf file), a caddisfly Potamophylax haidukorum (landesmuseum.at pdf file), a springtail Galeriella
liciniana (doiSerbia pdf file), a centipede Lithobius matulicii (Devon Karst), and several amphipod
crustaceans: Echinogammarus thoni
(Freshwater
Amphipods), Niphargus lunaris (Niphargus),
Niphargus trullipes
(Niphargus),
Niphargus balcanicus
(Niphargus),
and Niphargus
hercegovinensis (Niphargus).
The millipede Fagina
silvatica (Internet Archive) described in 1904 from Bjelasnica is sometimes
considered to be the only member of an endemic family, the Faginidae (Taxonomicon).
The only vertebrate species unique to Bosnia and Herzogovina is a
minnow Phoxinellus
pseudalepidotus (TrekNature).
Endemic plants include the Herzegovinian Bellflower Campanula hercegovina
(TrekNature), Campanula hofmannii (Henriette's Herbal),
a pink Dianthus freynii (PlantFiles), a spurge Euphorbia gregersenii (Panoramio), the Prenja Crazyweed Oxytropis prenja (post.ba), Alyssum moellendorfianum (p. 36 of CBD pdf file), the White Rockbell Edraianthus niveus (Mojmír Pavelka), Edraianthus sutjeskae (SummitPost), Seseli hercegovinum (Virtual Herbaria), a violet Viola prenja (figs. 1 to 3 at Internet Archive), a sandwort Minuartia handelii (Virtual Herbaria), and a woodruff Asperula hercegovina
(WNS
Stamps).
Portions
of Bosnia and Herzogovina are included in the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot
(Biodiversity
Hotspots).
Among the nation's most important ecoregions for endemic species is the
Dinaric Mountains Mixed Forests (EoE). For an overview of the biodiversity of Bosnia and Herzogovina see (CBD pdf file).