Hervé Jourdan

Institute of Research for Development | IRD · 237 - Mediterranean Institute of marine and terrestrial Biodiversity (IMBE)

The insect order Thysanoptera is used as an indicator of the vulnerability to foreign insect invasions of New Caledonian ecosystems-both the unique natural systems, and the agricultural and horticultural systems on which the economy is dependent. A total of 103 species in 67 genera of Thysanoptera are here listed from New Caledonia, in contrast to...

Amegilla pulchra is a solitary bee from Australia that has recently been spread throughout many islands of the Pacific. The non-regulated human-driven spread of the species may affect the local pollinator communities and their interactions with host plants. We used an ecological niche modelling approach, accounting for non-equilibrium and anthropog...

Amegilla pulchra is a solitary bee from Australia that has recently been spread throughout many islands of the Pacific. The non-regulated human-driven spread of the species may affect the local pollinator communities and their interactions with host plants. We used an ecological niche modelling approach, accounting for non-equilibrium and anthropog...

Selection and implementation of conservation measures require in-depth knowledge of ecology and biology of target species. Translocations of reptile populations are particularly likely to fail if basic habitat requirements and social structure are overlooked. Leopard Skinks (Lacertoides pardalis) are a vulnerable lizard species restricted to maquis...

Political responses to the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in city soundscapes around the globe.From March to October 2020, a consortium of 261 contributors from 35 countries brought togetherby the Silent Cities project built a unique soundscape recordings collection to report on local acousticchanges in urban areas. We present this collection her...

Caledargiolestes janiceae Lieftinck, 1975 was erected on the basis of a single not-fully mature male. Eleven years later a female was captured but never described. Despite further searching, this species was only rediscovered in early 2022 with one female and two males (immature and mature) collected. This paper provides descriptions of the female...

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, is one of the most widely distributed invasive alien ant species on earth, with major environmental, economic and sanitary impacts. Here we report the first established outdoor population of W. auropunctata in South East of France. We describe its detection, its extent and its early ecological impacts. C...

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, is one of the most widely distributed invasive alien ant species on earth, with major environmental, economic and sanitary impacts. Here we report the first established outdoor population of W. auropunctata in South East of France. We describe its detection, its extent and its early ecological impacts. C...

scientific review for the general public

In a world where insects and notably bees are declining, assessing their distribution over time and space is crucial to evaluate species status and highlight conservation priorities. However, this can be a daunting task, especially in areas such as tropical oceanic islands where exhaustive samplings over time have been lacking. This is the case in...

Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions from eusocial colony life to social parasitism contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms generating biodiversity in eusocial insects. The ants in the genus Myrmecia are a well-suited system for testing evolutionary hypotheses about how their species diversity wa...

In a world where insects and notably bees are declining, assessing their distribution over time and space is crucial to evaluate species status and highlight conservation priorities. However, this can be a daunting task, especially in areas such as tropical oceanic islands where exhaustive samplings over time have been lacking. This is the case in...

Edaphic conditions operate major environmental filtering on plant assemblages and their community structure. Soils derived from ultramafic outcrops (i.e. ultramafic substrates) are characterized by high concentrations of metal and metalloid and nutrient deficiencies constraining plant growth. Due to the coupled effects of edaphic conditions and cli...

Because of their importance as pollinators of wild and cultivated plants, little concern has been paid to alien bees when entering a new ecosystem. Hence, approximately 80 alien bee species worldwide have spread outside their native ranges. Here, we explored the main impacts of alien bees on native bees through competition for food or nesting resou...

Crickets (Ensifera, Grylloidea) are not commonly used as ecological indicators in con- trary to other Orthoptera (e.g., grasshoppers and katydids). However, they are sensi- tive to environmental changes and abundant in tropical regions. To evaluate whether crickets are relevant bioindicators of tropical ecosystems, we investigated cricket as- sembl...

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata , is an invasive species known to negatively affect many native species in its introduced range. Here, we studied the effect of little fire ant presence on the biomass of soil fauna in rainforest of New Caledonia to assess if little fire ants have an impact on an endangered endemic flightless bird, the ka...

The aim of our review was to examine the cases of Tephritidae invasions across island systems in order to determine whether they follow a hierarchical mode of invasion. We reviewed the literature on factors and mechanisms driving invasion sequences in Pacific and Southwest Indian Ocean islands and gathered every record of invasion by a polyphagous...

TAXREF is the taxonomic register for all living organisms from metropolitain and overseas France, marine as well as continental. A new version is published each year. This 15th version can be downloaded here : https://inpn.mnhn.fr/telechargement/referentielEspece/taxref/15.0/menu

Odonata fauna of the islands of Wallis and Futuna has been investigated during a two week field trip in 2020 and occasional observations in 2007­2012. Updated species checklist and faunistic information following nomenclature changes, new taxonomic information and distribution data are proposed. Presently, 15 species are known from Wallis & Futuna....

New Caledonia was, until recently, considered an old continental island harbouring a rich biota with outstanding Gondwanan relicts. However, deep marine sedimentation and tectonic evidence suggest complete submergence of the island during the latest Cretaceous to the Paleocene. Molecular phylogenies provide evidence for some deeply-diverging clades...

New Caledonia was, until recently, considered an old continental island harbouring a rich biota with outstanding Gondwanan relicts. However, deep marine sedimentation and tectonic evidence suggest complete submergence of the island during the latest Cretaceous to Paleocene. Molecular phylogenies provide evidence for some deeply-diverging clades tha...

This poster highlights a brief collection of the spiders' diversity that could be found in New Caledonia.

Land-use changes through urbanization and biological invasions both threaten plant-pollinator networks. Urban areas host modified bee communities and are characterized by high proportions of exotic plants. Exotic species, either animals or plants, may compete with native species and disrupt plant-pollinator interactions. These threats are heightene...

The OCBIL theory comprises a set of hypotheses to comprehend the biota of old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes (OCBILs). Here, we review evidence from the literature to evaluate the extent to which this theory could apply to the biodiversity hotspot of New Caledonia. We present geological, pedological and climatic evidence suggesting ho...

Les changements d'usage des sols, tels que l'urbanisation, ainsi que les introductions biologiques sont parmi les causes majeures du déclin des pollinisateurs à l'échelle globale. Néanmoins, le milieu urbain, par son hétérogénéité d'habitats et son importante diversité floristique, permet le maintien d'un certain nombre d'espèces d'abeilles. Cepend...

From far being exhaustive, this poster presents a selection of 30 portraits, representative of the extreme diversity of forms and lifestyles, including some emblematic species such as a tarantula, a black widow or a spiny orb weaver, and others that are much less known but are of equal interest to nature enthusiasts.

Thirty-three species of aphids are now established in New Caledonia. All species appear to have been introduced accidentally by human activity in the last century. Here, 17 aphid species are recorded for the first time: Aphis eugeniae , Aphis glycines , Aphis odinae , Aulacorthum solani , Brachycaudus helichrysi , Cerataphis orchidearum , Greenidea...

The kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus) is an iconic endemic flightless bird from New Caledonia, red-listed as endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria. Feral cats are among the most successful and damaging invaders for island biodiversity. They have been directly responsible for the extinction of numerous b...

Compared to other archipelagos of the Pacific, the New Caledonian Odonata fauna is rich and diverse with 56 valid species or subspecies (23 endemics, 41%) from eight families (four Zygoptera: Argiolestidae, Coenagrionidae, Isostictidae, Lestidae, and four Anisoptera: Aeshnidae, Corduliidae, Synthemistidae, Libellulidae) and 31 genera (including fou...

Compared to other archipelagos of the Pacific, the New Caledonian Odonata fauna is rich and diverse with 56 valid species or subspecies (23 endemics, 41%) from eight families (four Zygoptera: Argiolestidae, Coenagrionidae, Isostictidae, Lestidae, and four Anisoptera: Aeshnidae, Corduliidae, Synthemistidae, Libellulidae) and 31 genera (including fou...

Invasive alien species are a major threat to native insular species. Eradicating invasive mammals from islands is a feasible and proven approach to prevent biodiversity loss. We developed a conceptual framework to identify globally important islands for invasive mammal eradications to prevent imminent extinctions of highly threatened species using...

Table of islands, country or territory of ownership, invasive mammals and highly threatened species occurring on island, island rank reflecting conservation value, and timeframe assessed by socio-political survey in which an eradication could feasibly be initiated. Invasive mammal species listed are only those identified as having negative impact o...

Table of islands where no socio-political feasibility data was available during this study, country or territory of ownership, invasive mammals and highly threatened species occurring on island. Invasive mammal species listed are only those identified as having negative impact on highly threatened species and fall below island area and human popula...

Additional figures, tables and text supporting the main paper. (DOCX)

New Caledonia is a tropical archipelago of the South Pacific Ocean, and is one of the 36 world biodiversity hotspots. However, its unique biodiversity is increasingly threatened by habitat fragmentation and introductions of invasive alien species. Among these invaders, the red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is currently expanding towards the nort...

A new genus and species of skink, Kuniesaurus albiauris, is here described from the Île des Pins off southern New Caledonia. This new taxon possesses a unique suite of morphological apomorphies (scalation) that does not allow it to be placed in any existing Australasian eugongylid genus. It is known only from a single area in dense coastal forest o...

A new species of skink in the genus Epibator is described from Île Walpole, a small, isolated, raised vegetated limestone platform, ∼200km ESE of southern New Caledonia. The new species is distinguished from its congeners Epibator nigrofasciolatus and E. greeri primarily by its coloration and pattern (both species), differences in scalation (greeri...

Workshop Biodiversity in Oceania, Nouméa, NCL, 24-/06/2019 - 25/06/2019

Biodiversity of the South of New Caledonia

Atelier Biodiversité en Océanie, Nouméa, NCL, 24-/06/2019 - 25/06/2019

TAXREF is the taxonomic register for all living organisms from metropolitain and overseas France, marine as well as continental. A new version is published each year. This 12th version can be downloaded here : https://inpn.mnhn.fr/telechargement/referentielEspece/taxref/12.0/menu

The 11 French Overseas tropical island territories, located in three oceans (Atlantic, Indian and Pacific), harbored a high species and habitat diversity on small terrestrial areas. Indeed, these islands comprise 70% of the 17,947 endemic plant and animal species known in France on an area of only 4 % of the French nation. This “mega-biological” di...

Invasive species are a major concern for the maintenance of ecosystem services and biodiversity but are difficult to mitigate. Upstream solutions to prevent their impact, including their detection, are needed. Wasmannia auropunctata, an invasive ant living in vagile supercolonies, is especially hard to track and is a major threat for tropical ecosy...

Feral cats (Felis catus) are one of the most successful and harmful invasive predator species, leading to dramatic loss of biodiversity across the globe. Our study assessed feral cat predation in a major biodiversity hotspot: the New Caledonian archipelago. We focused on the consequences of this predation for the outstanding endemic fauna found thr...

Among invasive species, feral cats are one of the most successful and harmful predator species leading to dramatic loss of biodiversity the world’s islands. Effective feral cat management (eradications, controls) on numerous islands resulted generally in positive effects for native biodiversity conservation. The lack of feral cat diet study in the...

For a long time, New Caledonia was considered a continental island, a fragment of Gondwana harbouring old clades that originated by vicariance and so were thought to be locally ancient. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies dating diversification and geological data indicating important events of submergence during the Paleocene and Eocene (until 3...

Seabirds concentrate nutrients from large marine areas on their nesting islands playing an important ecological role in nutrient transfer between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Here we investigate the role of guano on corals reefs across scales by analyzing the stable nitrogen isotopic (δ15N) values of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damico...

In the Figure 10 where the Gryllinae (Gryllidae) genera present in New Caledonia are illustrated, the letters of the two species of the genus Lepidogryllus Otte & Alexander, 1983 have been inverted, while they are correctly indicated in the legend and in the text of the paper. The figure is published here with the correct letters: Figure 10C shows...

Squamata are one of the most threatened groups among island vertebrates, facing high pressure from exotic species. However, the contribution of small terrestrial reptiles in invasive rodents’ diet remains poorly investigated, partly because of the lack of tools for accurately identifying chewed prey fragments in gut contents. The New Caledonia arch...

Crickets (Insecta, Orthoptera, Gryllidea) are amongst the most abundant and diverse insects in New Caledonia: 40 genera are recorded today from the Archipelago and 180 cricket species have been reported; 19 genera and more than 90% of the species are endemic. Owing to this diversity, crickets prove an interesting model to test evolutionary hypothes...

New Caledonia is the oldest oceanic island in the world. The biogeographic studies on the origin of the island biota recently shifted from an “all-Gondwanan” paradigm toward a more balanced view, taking into account the submergence tectonic events that occurred in Paleocene and Eocene. Many molecular regional studies have now been conducted and the...

We provide an up-to-date catalogue of the Coccomorpha Rübsaamen, 1899 of New Caledonia based on studies of collected and curated specimens and on the literature. One hundred and eighteen species (118) in ten families have been recorded to date, in 70 genera. Five of the genera (7.2%) are endemic, belonging † left us unexpectedly on 13th December 20...

The new genus Murmurillana Delorme gen. nov., is described within the tribe Cicadettini Buckton, 1889, designating Murmurillana inaudibilis Delorme sp. nov., as the type species. Murmurillana inaudibilis Delorme sp. nov. and Murmurillana paenetacita Delorme sp. nov. are described from New Caledonia. They are respectively found in mid altitude dense...

Intensive sampling of cricket communities has been undertaken in southern New Caledonia in selected plots of vegetation, i.e. rain forest, preforest and maquis shrubland. This leads to the discovery of many new taxa, which are described in the present paper, together with closely related species from nearby areas. Descriptions are based on general...

Few studies have focused on the early colonization of New Caledonia by insects, after the re-emergence of the main island, 37 Myr ago. Here we investigate the mode and tempo of evolution of a new endemic cricket genus, Pixibinthus, recently discovered in southern New Caledonia. First we formally describe this new monotypic genus found exclusively i...

Among New Caledonian cicada taxa, the endemic genus Kanakia Distant, 1892 appears as the most spectacular one, especially because of the large size of its species (length up to 50 mm for males). Recent new specimen collections helped to clarify the taxonomy of this spectacular genus. According to morphological characteristics, we were able to redef...

The impact of alien predator species on insular native biota has often been attributed to island prey naïveté (i.e. lack of, or inefficient, anti-predator behavior). Only rarely, however, has the concept of island prey naïveté been tested, and then only a posteriori (i.e. hundreds or thousands of years after alien species introduction). The presenc...

Among invasive species, ants are a particularly prominent group with enormous impacts on native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Globalization and ongoing climate change are likely to increase the rate of ant invasions in the future, leading to simultaneous introductions of several highly invasive species within the same area. Here, we inves...

We report the recent arrival and subsequent spread of the Sida Leafbeetle, Calligrapha pantherina Stål, 1859, in the archipelago of New Caledonia. The species seems to have a rapid spread as it is now recorded all along the west coast and also have spread to the Loyalty Islands. The first specimen was caught in November 2012. This is a biocontrol a...

We present an updated checklist of the ladybird beetle fauna of New Caledonia. Fifty species have been tracked from literature and collections, but six should be removed from the list as they represent false records, invalid or unestablished species: Coccinella boletifera Fauvel, Harmonia conformis (Boisduval), Menochilus duodecimpunctatus (Fauvel)...

Seabirds are particularly vulnerable to introduced alien mammalian predators, especially invasive rats, which are the main contributors to seabird extinction and endangerment in many places worldwide. However, this appears context-dependent because, paradoxically, cases of apparent long-term coexistence between rats and some species of seabird have...

Biological invasions are recognized as one of the major threats to island biodiversity conservation, and numerous studies have been conducted around the world to restore the biodiversity of islands submitted to invasive species impacts. However, few scientific post-eradication studies were piloted notably for the biodiversity assessment of Arthropo...