Northern Mariana Islands
Birds
unique to the
Northern Marianas include the Mariana Fruit-dove (ARKive),
the Tinian
Monarch (ARKive),
the Marianas Bridled White-eye Zosterops conspicillatus
(ARKive),
and the Rota Bridled White-eye Zosterops
rotensis (ARKive).
The Nightingale Reed-warbler Acrocephalus
luscinius (dfw.gov.mp
pdf file)
is usually considered distinct from reed-warbler species that occur
elsewhere. The Golden White-eye (ARKive)
represents an endemic genus.
The Slevin's Skink Emoia
slevini (fort.usgs.gov)
formerly known also from Guam may now survive only in the Northern
Mariana Islands.
Insects found nowhere else include a katydid Phisis parva (OSF),
an ant Camponotus
marianensis (AntWeb),
a damselfly Ischnura
luta (p. 8 of Bishop
Museum pdf file), a beetle Propalticus saipanensis
(5a on p. 17 of Bishop
Museum 6 MB pdf file), and a bee Lasioglossum miyanoi
(p. 5 of Kyushu
Univ. pdf file). The Mariana Wandering Buterfly Vagrans egestina
(p. 53 of guamdawr.org
5 MB pdf file) formerly occurred on Guam, but now survives only on
Rota. Endemic land snails include Langford’s Tree Snail Partula langfordi (Wikipedia),
the
Fragile Tree Snail Samoana
fragilis (Wikipedia),
and Lamprocystis
hornbosteli (IUCN Red List).
Tinianella
tabulata (Science
Links Japan)
is an endemic genus of tiny marine snails. A recently discovered
undescribed species of shrimp is known only from the erupting undersea
volcano NW Rota-1 (nwrota2009.blogspot.com).
Vascular plant species restricted to the Northern Marianas include a
tree fern Cyathea
aramaganensis (GardenBreizh),
Nesogenes rotensis
(dfw.gov.mp
pdf file), Osmoxylon mariannense
(ecos.fws.gov
pdf file), a
legume Derris
mariannensis (TAI),
Laportea
saipanensis (NYBG),
Croton saipanensis
(TAI),
Bikkia longicarpa
(JSTOR), Terminalia rostrata
(JSTOR),
Leptopetalum kanehirae
(p. 77 of Smithsonian
pdf file),
Premna paulobarbata
(Kew),
Drypetes rotensis
(Kew),
Solanum mariannense
(JSTOR), and several orchids:
Dendrobium
oblongimentum (TAI),
Zeuxine ovata
(JSTOR),
and Malaxis alamaganensis
(Tropicos).
The Northern Mariana Islands are part of the Marianas
Tropical Dry Forests ecoregion (EoE)
and
is part of the Polynesia-Micronesia
biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots).