Nightly visit to a St Helena gumwood flower head – Mikko Paajanen

Nightly visit to a St Helena gumwood flower head

St Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean

St Helena is one of the most isolated oceanic islands of the planet, with a critically endangered endemic flora and fauna. I study hybridisation and pollination in the endemic Commidendrum tree daisies, and was curious to know what the trees were up to at night time. It turned out that gumwoods (Commidendrum robustum) were busy entertaining moths on their flower heads. The star of the photo is the (probably non-native) tendu defoliator moth (Hypocala rostrata). Photo was taken in February 2014.