# Endemic biota of the Auckland Region

The Auckland Region of New Zealand is home to numerous endemic flora and fauna. Many of these species have ranges restricted to the Waitākere Ranges, Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island and the Mokohinau Islands. A number of species have restricted ranges that include areas outside of the Auckland Region, such as Buller's shearwater and Pycroft's petrel, or organisms such as the brown teal / pateke and stitchbird / hihi which have recently increased ranges due to conservation efforts.
Currently no freshwater fish species are known to be endemic to the Auckland Region.

## Endemic species

Species below have been described as endemic to the Auckland Region.
| Common name(s) | Scientific name | Type of organism | Distribution | Notes |
| | Celmisia major var. major | plant | Waitākere Ranges, Great Barrier Island group | Found in coastal cliff faces in the Waitākere Ranges (Muriwai to Cornwallis), as well as Aiguilles Island, Great Barrier Island, where it may be extinct, and Kaikōura Island. |
| Mokohinau gecko | Dactylocnemis "Mokohinau" | reptile | Mokohinau Islands | Currently an undescribed species |
| Little Barrier giant wētā, wētāpunga | Deinacrida heteracantha | insect | Little Barrier Island | Formerly found on the mainland in Northland Region and Auckland Region. Captive breeding programmes have established populations on Motuora and Tiritiri Matangi Island. |
| New Zealand storm petrel | Fregetta maoriana | bird | Little Barrier Island | The bird's only known breeding sites are found on Little Barrier Island. |
| Mokohinau stag beetle | Geodorcus ithaginis | insect | Mokohinau Islands | Currently only known from a single sea stack in the island group. |
| Great Barrier Island kānuka | Kunzea sinclairii | plant | Great Barrier Island | Often found in gorges and cliffs of central Great Barrier Island. |
| Waitakere scurvy grass | Lepidium amissum† | plant | Waitākere Ranges | The species is extinct, last observed in 1917. It was formerly found along coastal cliffs of the Waitākere Ranges. |
| | Libertia flaccidifolia | plant | Rodney | Previously thought to be restricted to Mount Tamahunga, the species may also be present in southern Northland Region. |
| | Lindbergia maritima | plant | Waitākere Ranges | Moss species known from one locality in the Waitākere Ranges. |
| | Mecodema aoteanoho | insect | Great Barrier Island | Typically found in broadleaf forests of Great Barrier Island. |
| | Mecodema dunnorum | insect | Rodney | Found in native forest reserves near Puhoi in Rodney. |
| | Mecodema haunoho | insect | Little Barrier Island | Typically found in the broadleaf forests of southwestern Little Barrier Island. |
| | Migas insularis | spider | Little Barrier Island | Known only to occur on Little Barrier Island, type specimen found on the Tom Thumb Track. |
| | Migas minor | spider | Waitākere Ranges | Known from a single female specimen, found inside a tree trunk in the Waitākere Ranges. |
| | Migas sandageri | spider | Mokohinau Islands | May also be present on the Poor Knights Islands. |
| Waitakere forget-me-not | Myosotis pansa subsp. pansa | plant | Waitākere Ranges | Found in coastal cliff faces in the Waitākere Ranges. |
| | Neoramia finschi | spider | Auckland | Known only to occur in the Auckland area. |
| | Stanwellia hapua | spider | Little Barrier Island | Known only to occur on Little Barrier Island, type specimen found on the Little Barrier Island summit track. |
| Great Barrier tree daisy | Olearia allomii | plant | Great Barrier Island group | |
| chevron skink, niho taniwha | Oligosoma homalonotum | reptile | Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island | Currently restricted to Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island, the species was formerly found in Northland Region on the mainland. |
| Black petrel, tāiko, tākoketai, Parkinson's petrel | Procellaria parkinsoni | bird | Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island | The bird's only known breeding sites are located on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island. |
| Northern Cook's petrel | Pterodroma cookii cookii | bird | Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island | The subspecies is known to breeding only on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island. |
| Mokohinau groundsel | Senecio pokohinuensis | plant | Mokohinau Islands | Commonly found in association with petrel breeding grounds in the Mokohinau Islands. |
| Waitākere rock koromiko | Veronica bishopiana | plant | Waitākere Ranges | Commonly found on stream sides and cliff faces. |
| Riverhead speedwell | Veronica jovellanoides | plant | Rodney | Exclusive to the Ernest Morgan Reserve in Riverhead Forest. |
| | Veronica pubescens subsp. rehuarum | plant | Great Barrier Island | Typically found in open coastal areas or scrubland. |
| | Veronica pubescens subsp. sejuncta | plant | Mokohinau Islands, Little Barrier Island | Typically found in open coastal areas or scrublands. |
| Korowai gecko, Muriwai gecko | Woodworthia korowai | reptile | Muriwai Beach, Oaia Island | Primarily found in sand dunes on Te Korowai-o-Te-Tonga Peninsula and on Oaia Island |

## Near, former or potentially endemic species

The species listed below variously have ranges that are close to endemic to the Auckland Region, were formerly restricted to the Auckland Region, or may potentially be endemic.
| Common name(s) | Scientific name | Type of organism | Distribution | Notes |
| brown teal, pāteke | Anas chlorotis | bird | New Zealand | Historically restricted to Auckland Region and Northland Region, the species is now present in the South Island. |
| Buller's shearwater | Ardenna bulleri | bird | Hauraki Gulf | Has breeding sites across the Hauraki Gulf |
| Great Barrier inaka | Dracophyllum patens | plant | Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula | Found primarily above 300 m (980 ft) above sealevel in rhyolitic soil on Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula. |
| Sinclair's tamingi | Epacris sinclairii | plant | Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula | Found primarily above 300 m (980 ft) above sealevel in rhyolitic soil on Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula. |
| | Hierodoris huia | insect | Waitākere Ranges | Currently only two observations of the species have been made, in the vicinity of Titirangi. |
| | Ichneutica peridotea | insect | Auckland Region | While all observations of the species have been made in the Auckland Region, it is suspected to also live in the Northland Region. |
| | Microscydmus lynfieldi | insect | Lynfield | Currently the species had only been identified in the vicinity of Lynfield. |
| stitchbird, hihi | Notiomystis cincta | bird | New Zealand | Historically common across New Zealand, by the 20th century had become restricted to Little Barrier Island. Since 1991, the species has been reintroduced to islands and sanctuaries. |
| pale flowered kūmarahou | Pomaderris hamiltonii | plant | Northland Region, Rodney, Great Barrier Island, Pūkorokoro / Miranda | Found primarily around Pūkorokoro / Miranda in the Waikato Region, the Pouto Peninsula of Northland, around Warkworth, and on Great Barrier Island. |
| Pycroft's petrel | Pterodroma pycrofti | bird | Hauraki Gulf | Has breeding sites across the Hauraki Gulf |
| | Ramalodium dumosum | lichen | Huia | Identified at one location near Huia, the lichen has since not been identified. |
| New Zealand fairy tern, tara-iti | Sternula nereis davisae | bird | Northland Region, Auckland Region | One major breeding site in the Auckland Region. |
| northern hebe | Veronica obtusata | plant | Waitākere Ranges, Kawhia Harbour, Whāingaroa Harbour | Found primarily on steep slopes and banks, on cliff faces and rock stacks. |
| | Zelostemma thorpei | insect | Waitākere Ranges | Currently the species has only been identified around Huia and the northern shores of the Manukau Harbour. |