The Maltese Islands, although small in area (316 km2), host many endemic species. This may make the organism endangered. These endemic species are important to the Maltese Islands because they form part of Maltese national heritage and are topics of scientific research.

Introduction Of the 10,000 estimated terrestrial and freshwater species in the Maltese archipelago,Wildlife of the Maltese Islands, BirdLife Malte and Nature Trust, 1995. 78 are endemic, a large number considering the country's size. Only 4,500 species have so far been identified, and others still await correct taxonomic classification, which means that there may be several more endemic species yet to be discovered.

Twenty-three of the endemic species are vascular plants and plants such as bryophytes, while the remaining 55 species are animals.

Plants Malta hosts around 860 plants of indigenous nature, occurring in the archipelago before man. Another 20 taxa are considered archaeophytes, being introduced through human intervention but having established themselves before 1500 AD A further 180 taxa are of uncertain origin, whilst at least 640 taxa are considered neophytes, having been introduced after 1500 AD, and may include casual alien species. Most importantly, at least 24 endemic vascular plants, and 18 vascular plants that are sub-endemic to the Mediterranean region.

Endemic vascular plants +ImageSpecies nameAllium lojaconoiAllium melitense (until 2018)Anacamptis pyramidalis var. urvilleanaAnthemis urvilleanaAnthyllis hermanniae subsp. melitensisAtriplex lanfrancoiCheirolophus crassifoliusChiliadenus bocconeiEuphorbia melitensisHelichrysum panormitanum subsp. melitense, syn. Helichrysum melitenseHyoseris frutescensLegousia hybrida var. foliosa (extinct)Limonium melitenseLimonium zeraphaeMatthiola incana subsp. melitensisOphrys bombyliflora var. parvifloraOphrys hospitalisOphrys melitensisOrobanche densifloraOrobanche mutelii var. melitensisPolypodium vulgare subsp. melitenseRomulea melitensisSalsola melitensisSedum album subsp. rupi-melitenseZannichellia melitensis

Sub-endemic vascular plants +ImageSpecies nameCalendula maritimaCalendula suffruticosa subsp. fulgida var. gussoneiDaucus carota subsp. rupestrisDaucus lopadusanusDesmazeria pignattiiElatine gussoneiEuphorbia exigua var. pycnophyllaFilago cossyrensisMoraea sisyrinchium var. Moraea siculaHymenolobus revelierei subsp. sommieriIris pallida synonym Iris siculaLinaria pseudolaxifloraOphrys caesiellaOphrys callianthaOphrys lunulataRomulea linaresiiScilla sicula also known as Scilla peruvianaSenecio pygmaeus

Animals

There are more endemic animals than plants in the Maltese Islands, they are often subspecies of species in nearby countries e.g. the Sicilian shrew in Gozo which has been defined as a subspecies of its own. Endemic animal species include: ImageSpecies nameMaltese field beetle (Pimelia rugulosa ssp. melitana)Maltese honey bee (Apis mellifera ssp. ruttneri)Schembri's spider fly (Ogcodes schembrii)Maltese ruby tiger moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa ssp. melitensis)Maltese swallowtail (Papilio machaon ssp. melitensis)Maltese freshwater crab (Potamon fluviatile ssp. lanfrancoi)Maltese palpigrade (Eukoenia christiani)Maltese wall lizard (Podarcis filfolensis - this species has many subspecies, four of which are endemic to the Maltese Islands)Sicilian shrew (Crocidura sicula ssp. calypso)Esther's gecko mite (Gekobia estherae)

See also

Flora of Malta List of birds of Malta List of mammals of Malta

References