RAPID BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT OF UPLAND SAVAI’I, SAMOA JAMES ATHERTON AND BRUCE JEFFERIES (EDITORS) D ECEMBER 2012 S ecretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme SPP RE Library/IRC Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Atherton, James and Jefferies, Bruce (editors) Rapid biodiversity asssessment of upland Savai’i, Samoa / by James Atherton and Bruce Jefferies (editors) – Apia, Samoa : SPREP, 2012. 176 p. 29 cm. ISBN: 978-982-04-0470-0 (print) 978-982-04-0469-4 (online) 1.Biodiversity – Samoa – Savai’i. 2. Biodiversity conservation - Samoa - Savai’i. 3. Ecosystem management – Samoa – Savai’i. I. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE). II. Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). III. Title. 333.95099614 Cover photos: Background: The pristine forests of Upland Savai’i from helicopter (photo by J. Atherton). Bottom left: The endemic Samoan Skink (Emoia samoensis) (photo by C. Brown). Bottom middle: The Red-headed (Samoan) Parrotfinch (Erythrura cyaneovirens) (photo by R. Stirnemann). Bottom right: the endemic moth Monosyntaxis samoensis (photo by E.Edwards). © MNRE, SPREP 2012 All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPREP authorises the partial reproduction or translation of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPREP and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and / or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial / for profit or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme P.O. Box 240, Apia, Samoa. Telephone: + 685 21929, Fax: + 685 20231 www.sprep.org The Pacific environment, sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures. S ecretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme RAPID BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT OF UPLAND SAVAI’I, SAMOA JAMES ATHERTON AND BRUCE JEFFERIES (EDITORS) D ECEMBER 2012 S ecretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. Photo: Stuart Chape. TABLE OF CONTENTS Participants and Authors ................................................................................................................... 4 Organizational Profiles ....................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ 8 Foreword ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................11 Chapter 1: Report on the plants of Upland Savai’i ...................................................................21 Chapter 2: Report on the reptiles of Upland Savai’i ................................................................63 Chapter 3: Report on the birds of Upland Savai’i .....................................................................87 Chapter 4: Report on the moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Upland Savai’i .......113 Chapter 5: Report on the landsnail fauna of Upland Savai’i ...............................................141 Annex 1: Preliminary report on the low- to mid-elevation landsnail fauna of Savai’i ......153 P articipants and Authors A I RT WH STLER FE OOR D BR K (LANDSNAILS) (PLANTS AND VEGETATION) PO Box 1652 I sle Botanica Nelson 7040, New Zealand 2814 Kalawao St. E: [email protected] Honolulu Hawai‘I 96822, USA JS AME ATHERTON E: [email protected] (ASSISTANT COORDINATOR) Environmental & GIS Consultant BC ARRE KY H IS (BIRDS) Box 1922, Apia, Samoa E: [email protected] E: [email protected] BUCEJFFERR E IES (COORDINATOR) KS IR TY SWINNERTON (BIRDS) T errestrial Ecosystems Management Officer Program Manager Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Island Conservation Programme P.O. Box 1908 PO Box 240 Boqueron, Puerto Rico 00622-1908 Apia, Samoa E: [email protected] E: [email protected] Mar K O’BRIEN (BIRDS) Da VID BUTLER (BIRD TEAM LEADER) Senior Technical Advisor D avid Butler Associates Ltd BirdLife International Pacific Programme PO Box 98 Suva, Fiji Nelson, New Zealand E: [email protected] E: [email protected] MoeuUI MU LI (REPTILES) EEDWRIC ARDS Senior Parks and Reserves Officer (FAUNA TEAM LEADER, INSECTS) National Reserves Office Science Advisor, Biodiversity Division of Environment and Conservation Department of Conservation Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation House Apia, Samoa PO Box 10-420 E: [email protected] Wellington 6143, New Zealand E: [email protected] RBECCASTIE RNEMANN (BIRDS) Ecology group FILELE A I ENOKA (BIRDS, REPTILES) Massey University N ational Reserves Office Palmerston North Division of Environment and Conservation New Zealand Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment E:[email protected] Government of Samoa Apia, Samoa E: [email protected] 4 Rapid Biodiversity Assessment of Upland Savai’i, Samoa RBER O T FISHER SE U MALO TALIE FOLIGA (REPTILES TEAM LEADER) (MOUNTAIN CAMP MANAGER, PLANTS) U. S. Geological Survey Principal Parks and Reserves Officer San Diego Field Station National Reserves Office 4165 Spruance Road, Suite 200 Division of Environment and Conservation San Diego Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment CA 92101-0812, USA Apia, Samoa E: [email protected] E: [email protected] S O’OALO TITO ALATIMU VKSAILI E MASIBALAVU (BIRDS) (VILLAGE CAMP MANAGER) Conservation International Senior Forestry Officer-W est Savai’i 3 Ma’afu St Forestry Division P.O. Box 2089 Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Suva, Fiji Apia, Samoa E: [email protected] E: [email protected] Warre N CHINN (INSECTS) SEULU M VANY (PLANTS) I nvertebrate Ecologist V ia David Haynes Department of Conservation Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Canterbury Conservancy Programme Administration building, International Antarctic PO Box 240 Centre, 38 Orchard Rd, Christchurch 8053, Apia, Samoa New Zealand E: [email protected] E: [email protected] Rapid Biodiversity Assessment of Upland Savai’i, Samoa 5 O rganizational Profiles MNI I STRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CTIALE RI C COSYSTEM PARTNERSHIP FUND ENVIRONMENT (MNRE) (CEPF) T he Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the T he Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society focuses on developing regulatory frameworks for sus- is engaged in biodiversity conservation. tainable management of the Samoan environment and its natural resources along with the implementation of For more information visit: http://www.cepf.net projects at the local and national levels that promote improved quality of life for all. The Ministry has six main goals within its organisational framework including pol- CERONS VATION INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC icy development, resource management, programme ISLANDS PROGRAM planning, scientific and technological information, along with effective implementation of projects at all levels.T he involvement of the Ministry in this Savai’i BIORAP indi- cates its strong support and commitment to preserve and protect the biodiversity of Samoa in order to maintain Sa- moan culture and natural heritage. For more information visit: http://www.mnre.gov.ws/ T he focus of Conservation International’s Pacific I slands Program is to provide for the development of sustainable societies by the people of the Pacific Islands, SCRERE TA IAT OF THE PACIFIC REGIONAL through the preservation of natural capital and adaptation ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (SPREP) to climate change. CI’s Pacific Islands Program covers 20 – 30,000 islands in the 22 countries and territories which make up the Polynesia-Micronesia and New Caledonia Biodiversity Hotspots, and Papua New Guinea. The total oceanic coverage of the program is around 40 million sq km (more than four times the size of the continental T he Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment United States). The Pacific Islands Program is the only Programme (SPREP) has been charged by the regional program within CI’s Asia-Pacific Field Division. governments and administrations of the Pacific region It consists of three sub-country/territory programs with with the protection and sustainable development of the linked national strategies for Fiji, Papua New Guinea and region’s environment. SPREP is based in Apia, Samoa, with New Caledonia, and a regional Pacific Oceanscape field over 70 staff. program. SPREP’s activities are guided by its Strategic Action Plan For more information visit http://www.conservation.org/ 2011–2015, which was developed through extensive Pages/default.aspx consultations with Members, Secretariat programme staff and partner organisations. The Plan establishes