Tag Archives: Mahé

Biantes parvulus (Hirst)

Small Seychelles Harvestman (Biantes parvulus)

The Small Seychelles Harvestman was described in 1911; it is known to have inhabited the islands of Mahé, Praslin and Silhoutette in the Seychelles archipelago.

The species has a body length of about 0.6 cm (including the palpi); it is dark brown; the distal ends of the tibiae of the second- and fourth legs are white; the distal tarsal segment of the third and the distal end of the metatarsus and the tarsal segments of the fourth are also pale-colored; the remaining segments of the legs being dark brown in color. [1]

The Small Seychelles Harvestman was only ever found once on Praslin in 1908 and was last recorded from Mahé and Silhouette in 1972; it has never been found since and is likely extinct now.

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syn. Hinzuanius parvulus Hirst

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palp from the inner side

Depiction from: ‘ S. Hirst: The Araneae, Opiliones and Pseudoscorpiones. The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, under the leadership of Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, M.A. Vol 3. No. XVIII. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. Second Series. Vol. 14. Zoology.: 379-395. 1910-1912’

(not in copyright)

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References:

[1] S. Hirst: The Araneae, Opiliones and Pseudoscorpiones. The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, under the leadership of Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, M.A. Vol 3. No. XVIII. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. Second Series. Vol. 14. Zoology.: 379-395. 1910-1912

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edited: 28.02.2024

Coenosia extincta Pront

Extinct Mahé Fly (Coenosia extincta)

This species was described in 2009 based on a single male specimen that was collected in March, April or May 1892 on the island of Mahé, Seychelles Islands.

The species was never found since its original collection and was thus considered extinct by its author. [1]

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References:

[1] Adrian C. Pont: A new species of Coenosia Meigen, 1826 from the Seychelles Islands (Insecta, Diptera: Muscidae). Phelsume 17: 9-11. 2009
[2] Justin Gerlach: Red List ing reveals the true state of biodiversity: a comprehensive assessment of Seychelles biodiversity. Phesluma 20: 9-22. 2012

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edited: 30.10.2020

Tomosvaryella sylvaticoides (Lamb)

Seychelles Big-headed Fly (Tomosvaryella sylvaticoides)

The Seychelles Big-headed Fly was described in 1922 based on one male- and three female specimens, of which apparently only two of the female specimens still exist.

The species was found on the islands of Mahé and Silhouette, Seychelles but has apparently never been recorded since 1908, when the types had been collected. [1]

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syn. Pipunculus sylvaticoides Lamb

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References:

[1] Marc De Meyer: A revision of the Afrotropical species of Tomosvaryella Aczél, 1939 (Diptera: Pipunculidae) Annals of the Natal Museum 34(1): 43-101. 1993

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edited: 21.08.2022

Oeceoclades seychellarum (Rolfe ex Summerh.) Garay & P. Taylor

Seychelles Oeceoclades Orchid (Oeceoclades seychellarum)

This species was a terrestrial or epiphytic (depending on which source) orchid, that was restricted to the island of Mahé, Seychelles Islands.

The Seychelles Oeceoclades Orchid is said to have been very similar in vegetative morphology to the closely related Malagasy Lanceated Oeceoclades Orchid (Oeceoclades lanceata (H. Perrier) Garay & P. Taylor), from which it differed, however, in some floral characteristics, especially by its proportionally shorter lip.

The species is known exclusively from the type specimen that was collected in 1902 in a region that was covered with intact mountain forest at that time, but that now is degraded by human activity and overgrown with introduced invasive plant species. 

The Seychelles Oeceoclades Orchid is thus considered extinct.

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The species was once cultivated in the Botanical Garden of Kew, Great Britain at the beginning of the 20th century, but seems to have disappeared from there as well.

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References:

[1] Justin Gerlach: Red Listing reveals the true state of biodiversity: a comprehensive assessment of Seychelles biodiversity. Phesluma 20: 9-22. 2012

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edited: 26.11.2018

Eudorylas semiopacus (Lamb)

Semiopaque Big-headed Fly (Eudorylas semiopacus)

The Semiopaque Big-headed Fly was described in 1922, apparently based on two specimens that had been collected in 1908 on the plateau of Mare aux Cochons on Silhouette as well as in 1909 near the western coast of Mahé, Seychelles.

This was apparently a parasitoid of planthopper bugs. [1]

The Semiopaque Big-headed Fly has not been found in recent surveys and appears to be extinct.

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syn. Pipunculus semiopacus Lamb

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References:

[1] Justin Gerlach: Red Listing reveals the true state of biodiversity: a comprehensive assessment of Seychelles biodiversity. Phesluma 20: 9-22. 2012

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edited: 11.02.2024

Voraptus tenellus (Simon)

Mahe Miturgid Spider (Voraptus tenellus)

This spider species is known from two records, one from 1908 and another one from 1972, it has not been seen since.

The known habitats are heavily degraded due to invasion by introduced plant species and the species very likely is already extinct.

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edited: 27.04.2021

Polyscias sechellarum var. contracta F. Friedmann

Bois Banane (Polyscias sechellarum var. contracta)

The Bois Banane (Polyscias sechellarum Baker) is endemic to the Seychelles Islands, where it occurs or occurred on the islands of Curieuse, Félicite, La Digue, Mahé, Praslin, and Silhouette.

The species is split into at least three varieties of which the one discussed here apparently was restricted tot he island of Mahé, from which, however, it was not recorded in recent surveys, it is thus considered most likely extinct. 

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edited: 26.11.2018

Nephele leighi Joicey & Talbot

Leigh’s Sphinx Moth (Nephele leighi)

This species was described in 1921, it is apparently known from only four specimens that were collected on the islands of Mahé and Silhouette, Seychelles Islands.

The last specimen, a male, was obviously collected in 1969, since that date there has not been any trace of this species, which is now feared to be extinct.

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female

Photo: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
http://sphingidae.myspecies.info/file-colorboxed/9071
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

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References:

[1] Pat Matyot: The hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of Seychelles: identification, historical background, distribution, food plants and ecological considerations. Phelsuma 13. 55-80. 2005
[2] Justin Gerlach: Red Listing reveals the true state of biodiversity: a comprehensive assessment of Seychelles biodiversity. Phelsuma 20: 9-22. 2012

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edited: 27.04.2022

Hirstienus nanus (Hirst)

Small Mahe Harvestman (Hirstienus nanus)

The Small Mahe Harvestman was described in 1913; it was endemic to the island of Mahé in the Seychelles.

The species has not been seen since its discovery in 1908 and is thought to be extinct; unfortunately I have not been able so far to find any further information about this species.

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edited: 17.05.2022

Palaeornis wardi Newton

Seychelles Parakeet (Palaeornis wardi)

The Seychelles Parakeet was described in 1867, it was already very rare at that time and restricted to only two islands in the Seychelles, Mahé and Silhouette, it might formerly have occurred on all of the islands.

The species was closest related to the Alexandrine Parakeet (Palaeornis eupatria (L.)) from which it differed mainly by the lack of a rose-colored neck collar; it was formerly also merged with that species. 

The Seychelles Parakeet was last recorded in 1883 when the last known specimen died in captivity, the species died out because it was heavily hunted for being a ‘pest’ to crops. 

Marianne North, a botanical artist, depicted a live pair of this species on the island of Mahé when she visited the family of Dr. James Brooks, a colonial medical officer on the Seychelles. She also wrote some notes about these two birds:

“He and his Greek wife were very kind and hospitable in their offers to me. I went one day to their house, and painted their parrots, which came originally from Silhouette: queer, misshapen birds, with enormous beaks and patches of red and yellow badly put on, one of them having a black ring round its neck. Both were quite helplessly bullied by common pigeons, which came and ate up their food, while they jabbered in a melancholy way, and submitted. They had absolutely no tops to their heads, which perhaps accounted for their stupidity. They had a stand on the back verandah, where they slept and were fed. They were not tied up, but went and stole their own fruit off the neighbouring trees.” [1]

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References:

[1] Anthony S. Cheke: Animals depicted by Marianne North in her Seychelles paintings. Phelsuma 21: 47-57. 2013
[2] Michael P. Braun; Thomas Datzmann, Thomas Arndt; Matthias Reinschmidt; Heinz Schnittker; Norbert Bahr; Hedwig Sauer-Günth; Michael Wink: A molecular phylogeny of the genus Psittacula sensu lato (Aves: Psittaciformes: Psittacidae: Psittacula, Psittinus, Tanygnathus, †Mascarinus) with taxonomic implications. Zootaxa 4563(3): 547-562. 2019

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Depiction from: ‘Alfred and Edward Newton: On the Psittaci of the Mascarene Islands. The Ibis, ser. 3(6): 281-289. 1876’

(not in copyright)

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edited: 14.06.2020

Centrobunus braueri Loman

Brauer’s Spiky Harvestman (Centrobunus braueri)  

This species from the island of Mahé, Seychelles was discovered in 1894 (described in 1902), it was never recorded again, and thus is considered most probably extinct.  

The genus contains only this one species.  

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ocularium (on the left) and right palpus (on the right)  

Depiction from ‘J. C. C. Loman: Neue aussereuropäische Opilioniden. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 16: 163-216. 1902’  

(not in copyright)

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edited: 26.11.2018

Vernonia sechellensis Baker

Seychelles Vernonia (Vernonia sechellensis)

The Seychelles Vernonia was endemic to the island of Mahé, Seychelles Islands, it is known only from the holotype, which had been collected in 1874 in the so called Forêt Noire, an area that appears to have been largely deforested since then.

The Seychelles Vernonia was a very small shrub, reaching only about 1,2 m in height.

The species was never found since 1874 and is clearly extinct.

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References:

[1] Justin Gerlach: Red List ing reveals the true state of biodiversity: a comprehensive assessment of Seychelles biodiversity. Phesluma 20: 9-22. 2012

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edited: 26.11.2018

Dicrogonatus gardineri (Warburton)

Gardiner’s Giant Mite (Dicrogonatus gardineri)

Gardiner’s Giant Mite was described in 1912 based on specimens that were found in 1909 on the island of Mahé in the Seychelles where it inhabited the native forests at higher elevations.

“Male about 4 mm. in length, black-brown, not highly polished. Genital area in general design like that of H. longipes but with the prominences at its postero-lateral limits much more salient. Peritreme broadest in the middle and tapering to either end.
Legs moderately long and slender and only sparsely clothed with hairs; leg 1 with the tarso-metatarsus of the same colour as the rest of the animal and only slightly dilated, and with a fairly strong spur under the distal end of the patella; tarsi of legs 2, 3, and 4 with three terminal spurs, two being more or less dorsal and the third lateral on the external side, and small conical spur on the under surface towards the distal end – very small on leg 4.
Female about 4.5 mm., of the colour and general appearance of the male, but with the legs destitute of the patellar and infra-tarsal spurs. Genital area large, the median plate very broad, with sides almost rectilinear, and its anterior border a sinuous transverse line. Lateral plates very small and narrow; anterior plate very broad and shallow.
Two ♂ and two ♀, taken in the jungle, Mahé, at an elevation of over 1200 ft.
…” [1]

The species was never seen again and is considered extinct.

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syn. Holothyrus gardineri Warburton

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Depiction from: ‘Cecil Warburton: The Acarina of the Seychelles. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London Ser. 2 Vol. 15: 349-360. 1912-1913’

(not in copyright)

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References:

[1] Cecil Warburton: The Acarina of the Seychelles. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London Ser. 2 Vol. 15: 349-360. 1912-1913

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edited: 19.08.2022