The authors provide a general review of the first collection date or first literature publication date for Indotyphlops braminus from all Oceanian archipelagos and/or islands from where it has been reported.  This terrestrial worm-like snake (Typhlopidae) is reported here for the first time as having been introduced, most likely accidentally, to Tahiti Island. The snake will certainly rapidly spread over most islands of the five archipelagos of French Polynesia.

Les auteurs établissent une révision générale des dates de première collecte ou de première mention aussi précises que possible pour l’introduction du serpent terrestre vermiforme Indotyphlops braminus (Typhlopidae) sur toutes les îles et archipels océaniens. L’introduction probablement accidentelle de ce serpent est ici signalée pour la première fois sur l’île de Tahiti. Ce reptile va très certainement étendre rapidement sa répartition à l’ensemble des cinq archipels de Polynésie française.

Our field survey of the 10 island groups in the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon UNESCO World Heritage Site in Palau found a cumulative total of 37 species of non-migratory wild birds including 13 endemic to Palau and 5 endemic to Micronesia. Previous surveys of Palau’s avifauna reported a cumulative total of 29 non-migratory wild bird species for the site. We also observed 5 migratory bird species, 2 non-migratory species of bats, nesting activity by 9 non-migratory bird species and a larger range than previously known for the endemic Giant White-eye, Megazosterops palauensis.

From 1992-2014 the breeding migrations of 20 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, were satellite tracked either from or to the colonial nesting site of French Frigate Shoals (FFS), a geologically ancient mid-point in the 2400 km arc of the Hawaiian Islands. Using the Argos System, ocean routes and travel schedules were mapped and the home ranges of foraging area destinations were calculated and portrayed by Minimum Convex Polygons. None of the turtles migrated outside the Central North Pacific (CNP) region of Hawai‘i. Fifteen of the 17 turtles tracked from FFS migrated to the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) to the southeast, while one turtle went directly south to the foraging site of Johnston Atoll within the CNP, and another ceased transmitting midway between FFS and the MHI. Transit times from FFS to the MHI ranged from 16-94 days. Distances covered during each migration ranged from 830-3936 km with travel rates of 1.2-2.5 km/hr. Upon arrival at residential locations transmissions continued for 2-314 days. The post-breeding pathways taken by the turtles comprised two general corridors. Thirteen of the turtles traveled well offshore south of the island chain. In contrast, two turtles traveled a more direct pathway over the banks and reefs of the Hawaiian Islands chain. After arriving in the MHI, all but one traveled coastally until crossing the deep channels separating each island. Nine widely separated home range foraging destinations were identified. Two of the largest bays in the Hawaiian Islands, Kane‘ohe Bay on O‘ahu and Kahului Bay on Maui, were the destinations for ~50% of the turtles, thereby emphasizing the conservation importance of these two locations for adults in the Hawaiian green turtle population. Our study brings together for the first time Hawaiian green turtle tracking data collected over the span of 22 years.

Studies of ecological separation between insects breeding in decaying fruits have rarely determined how generalist feeders can coexist. The present study tests whether two generalist and presently cosmopolitan species of fruitfly, Drosophila ananassae and Drosophila melanogaster, differ in their ability to breed on a highly acid, and possibly toxic, fruit, cucumberfruit (Oxalidaceae, Averrhoa bilimbi). Yeasted Averrhoa bilimbi fruits and yeasted banana (Musa species) fruit baits were placed out on Guam as oviposition substrates for local Drosophila species. An analysis of variance on the number of male flies of each species that eclosed from these two baits revealed a strong statistical interaction between Drosophila species and host-plant species (fruit type) (p<0.0001). The great majority of male flies eclosing from cucumberfruit were D. ananassae. In contrast, D. melanogaster was the principal species eclosing from bananas. Possibly, the geographic overlap between cucumberfruit and D. ananassae may have allowed D. ananassae to evolve a tolerance for cucumberfruit, which contains a high concentration of oxalic acid. The ability of at least some individuals of D. ananassae to breed on a common fruit that is not used by most D. melanogaster may permit coexistence of these generalist feeders on Guam and possibly other tropical Pacific Islands.