Gardener of the Isle

The Gardener of the Isle, or simply Gardener, is an species of hoverfly endemic to Flower island, on the OPTC. Despite being really similar to other hover flys is belive that it branched of the rest early on their history due to its lack of camuflage. It is concider among one of the weirdest types of fly, following the patron of the extrange ecosistem of Flower Island.
== Discovery ==
It was first observed by the osteri travelers, founders of Lonely Light. And later descrived by the Island Keeper and his assistants. Some examples were brought to Lonely Light, but they caused little amusment on the scientific comunity of the world and much less on the then almost inexistant one on Lonely Light.
I wouldn't be until Willem Rumphius dedicated more to the study of the flora and fauna of Flower Island that more about the gardener would be known.
== Description ==
It's physiognomy is largely similar to that of normal hoverflies, counting with 3 pairs of legs and large round eyes. The most visual difference from the other hoverflies is its color green, instead of the common bee pattern, this gree is too different from the plants around it to serve as camuflage of any kind. It has two particulary long antenas over its head, similar to the antenas of other insects this ones can sense light, but is uncapable of making an image out of it.
The most striking difference is on the abdomen of the fly. There a conpound call luciferin is produce (the same than found on firefly) and used to emit light. The organ in charge of this is atrofieted and almost useless on adults, emiting only small points of gree light. But it bright much more intensly through the membranes of the larva.
== Life Cycle ==
The larva are placed on the stem of flowers, from where it can more easily crawl to the waste sacks of the plans, a characteristic only present on flowers of Flower Island. Different from other hoverflies larvae, this are herbivorous, an adaptation that most likely came due to the lac k of prey on the island. Yet have been observed eating beetles when presented with them. As they come closer to reach maturity they start to produce luciferin and burn it during the night. They spend around a month on larval state before going into pupa and a week after that before emerging as adults.
Once they hatch they start to feed from the scarce nectar from the plants. Their illumination organs stop receiving much nutrients and enter an atrofiated state. They will live for around 2 month, on the last week of the second one, once the female have had accumulate enough energy to produce an egg, the mating season will begin. The Island Gardeners reproduce only at night. Although this was a mystery at the beginning it was discover that they only reproduce when under a certain amount of light they would not mate. It is unknown how this behavior evolved, yet this prevents overpopulation. Once a great amount of larvae are present on the island the light of this ones is detected by the antennas of the Gardeners, preventing them from mating.
=== Predators ===
* Migratory birds
* Light Eaters
Category:Fauna
Category:Traveler's Era