Micronesia
Birds
found nowhere
else include the Caroline Islands Ground-dove (ARKive),
the Pohnpei Lorikeet (Wikipedia), the Caroline
Islands Swiftlet (Theme
Birds on Stamps), the Truk Monarch (BirdLife
Int'l), the Yap Monarch (Surfbirds),
the Faichuk
White-eye (ARKive),
the Long-billed White-eye (Theme
Birds on Stamps), the Yap Greater White-eye (comfsm.fm),
the Pohnpei Mountain Starling (Theme
Birds on Stamps), and the extinct Kosrae Starling (Naturalis)
and Kosrae Crake (Andrew
Isles Bookshop). The Caroline
Reed-warbler Acrocephalus
syrinx (IBC)
has recently been recognized as distinct from the Nightingale
Reed-warbler Acrocephalus
luscinius.
Mammals unique to Micronesia include the Yap Flying Fox (ARKive),
the Chuuk Flying Fox (IUCN Red List),
and
the Caroline
Flying Fox (IUCN Red List).
Endemic reptiles include the Pohnpei Forest Skink Emoia ponapea (fig.
h at Internet
Archive), a gecko Lepidodactylus
oligoporus (eol), and the blind snakes Ramphotyphlops hatmaliyeb and Ramphotyphlops adocetus (both at Zootaxa pdf file). The Giant Micronesian Gecko Perochirus scutellatus
(ScholarSpace) may also be endemic.
Freshwater fish restricted to Micronesia include the gobies Sicyopterus lividus
and Sicyopterus
eudentatus (both at COM-FSM).
Endemic marine fish include the Caroline Anchovy Stolephorus multibranchus
(eol),
the Gold-rim Chromis Chromis
circumaurea (FishBase),
the Chronixis Surgeonfish Acanthurus
chronixis (ScholarSpace
pdf file),
the Pohnpei Coralbrotula Diancistrus
pohnpeiensis (FishBase),
and the Vertical Hover Goby Parioglossus
verticalis (p. 69 of Univ.
Toronto pdf file).
Insects found only in Micronesia include a dragonfly Hemicordulia erico (Kyushu
Univ. Museum), a leafroller moth Adoxophyes poecilogramma
(Tortricid.net),
a raspy cricket Gryllacris
modestipennisthe
(SysTax),
a katydid Phisis vittata
(OSF),
the longhorned beetles Ropica
yapana (Smithsonian)
and Examenes ponapensis
(Smithsonian),
a ground beetle Ponapagonum
dybasi (p. 24 of Bishop
Museum 3 MB pdf file), a click beetle Simodactylus decoratus
(p.
25 of Bishop
Museum 5 MB pdf file), and the ants Camponotus erythrocephalus
(AntWeb)
and Vollenhovia kaselela
(AntWeb).
Other endemic invertebrates include the jumping spiders Sobasina
yapensis (Salticidae
of the World) and Phintella
planiceps (Salticidae
of the World), the Chuuk
Islands Giant Millipede Acladocricus
setigerus (ScholarSpace
pdf file), and several land snails: Partula
emersoni (# 11 in BHL),
Partula
martensiana (figs. 15 & 16 at BHL),
Thaanumella cookei
(p. 43 of Tentacle
pdf file), and Kubaryiellus
kubaryi and Russatus
nigrescens (both at BHL).
Plants known solely from Micronesia include the palms Clinostigma
ponapensis (COM-FSM),
Metroxylon amicarum
(ARKive),
Ponapea hosinoi
(flickr),
and Ponapea
ledermanniana (flickr).
Other endemic plants include the Ka Tree Terminalia carolinensis
(flickr),
the Pohnpei Cinnamon Tree Cinnamomum
carolinense (COM-FSM),
a pepper Piper ponapense
(COM-FSM),
a giant ginger Alpinia
carolinensis (COM-FSM), a tree fern Cyathea
nigricans (COM-FSM),
Palaquium karrak
(NYBG),
Antidesma ponapense
(TAI),
a
mangosteen Garcinia
trukensis (JSTOR),
Macaranga kanehirae
(TAI),
Parkia korom
(ARKive),
Claoxylon carolinianum
(JSTOR),
Trichospermum
ikutai (NYBG), Timonius albus
(Zürcher
Herbarien), and several orchids: Dendrobium
kraemeri (IOPSE),
Phreatia pacifica
(TAI),
Robiquetia trukensis
(TAI),
and Glomera carolinensis
(HUH).
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).
