Judson Wynne, Ph.D.; Assistant Research Professor at Department of Biological Sciences Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Northern Arizona University  visited Isla de Pascua in 2016 to work on the island´s endemic insects. Specialized magazine ….

FROM THE MAY 2017 ISSUE

THE MAGAZINE BLOGS   HEALTH & MEDICINE MIND & BRAIN TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE

Extinction for Easter Island’s Last Endemics

A few native species still survive in remote caves and along cliff sides.

By Nathaniel Scharping

On Easter Island, isolated in the vast Pacific Ocean, 10 species of near-microscopic insects are all that remain of the island’s native species — at least for now. The endemic insects hide in volcanic caves and eke out an existence in an increasingly imperiled habitat. Tourists who flood this tiny island, called Rapa Nui by the native residents, endanger the tiny bugs’ ancestral homes — fragile gardens of moss and ferns. …..

Our preliminary results from the 2016 Easter Island Endemic Insects expedition was featured in the print version of Discover Magazine, May 2017. The article is currently will be available to all readers next June 2017. Here’s the link: http://discovermagazine.com/2017/may-2017/extinction-for-easter-islands-last-endemics