Colonisation of the Fiji Islands by the lurcher Yoma sabina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
New species colonizations offer insight into island biogeography and ecological interactions. This study documents the apparent recent arrival of the lurcher Yoma sabina in the Fiji Islands—previously unrecorded in the literature and located ~830 km from its nearest known population in Vanuatu. iNaturalist observations suggest colonization occurred in the early 2020s, marking a notable range expansion. These findings highlight the value of community‑science biodiversity records for detecting new establishments and improving understanding of dispersal, island connectivity and species turnover.
Subject Tags
- Biodiversity
- Wildlife
Abstract
Documenting new colonisations of species and rates of establishment on islands is important for studying ecological interactions with resident species and adds to our understanding of island biogeography. Here, I document the apparent recent establishment of the lurcher Yoma sabina in the Fiji Islands, a butterfly species previously unrecorded in Fiji in the published literature, some 830 km away from its closest known occurrence in Vanuatu. Based on records in iNaturalist, colonisation is likely to have occurred in the early 2020s.
Citation
Fitzsimons, J. A. (2025). Colonisation of the Fiji Islands by the Lurcher Yoma sabina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Journal of Insect Conservation, 29(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-025-00651-1
TNC Authors
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James A. Fitzsimons
Senior Advisor, Global Protection Strategies
The Nature Conservancy
Email: jfitzsimons@tnc.org