Once is not always the norm aboard the sailing vessel Milagro — and following Callisphyris leptopus Philippi: in mid-April 2026, with Ben, Milena, Gabriel, Damien and Lauriane, as we were leaving one of the arms of Bahía Tres Brazos, a bay located to the north-west of Gordon Island, we received a new visitor that would give us quite a headache: an adult male Cercophana frauenfeldii.
We will not hide from you that identifying this species was no easy feat — friends and acquaintances alike were all astonished by our photographs. After checking the GBIF database, we found that our observation appears to be among the southernmost research‑grade records of Cercophana frauenfeldii currently available there. This underlines how integrating opportunistic observations into open platforms such as iNaturalist and GBIF can complement existing Chilean work by documenting species in remote places where access and sampling are logistically demanding.
Photographed aboard the sailing vessel Milagro, mid-April 2026 in the morning, during an expedition in the canals of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.
Here a detailed spotlight on an uncommonly encountered nocturnal visitor in these waters!
Table of Content
Introduction
Cercophana frauenfeldii Felder, 1862 is a large Neotropical Saturniidae endemic to Chile, also known by the English common name "Andean Moon Moth" on account of its Andean range and its resemblance to a "lunar sphinx". Over the last decades, Chilean and South American entomologists have provided key information on the taxonomy, life cycle and host plants of C. frauenfeldii, from its northern range to Magallanes. Recent work has clarified the immature stages, phenology and host associations, laying the groundwork for interpreting new records such as ours.
In the second half of the 20th century, C. frauenfeldii was incorporated into syntheses on the Chilean Saturniidae fauna, particularly in revisional works on the family and the genera Cercophana and Neocercophana. More recent studies (2021) have complemented these approaches by describing the immature stages (egg, larva, caterpillar, cocoon…), the phenology, the species' distribution and its host plants.
Taxonomy, Morphological Characters and Developmental Stages
1. Original Description and Nomenclatural Status
The species was described by Felder in 1862 under the name Cercophana frauenfeldi, based on material from continental Chile, making it one of the first South American Saturniidae to be formally described. Modern catalogues of the Saturniidae family in Chile confirm this status, retaining the spelling frauenfeldii (with a double "i") as valid and placing it in the genus Cercophana Felder, 1862.
Revisions of the family in South America recognise Cercophana as a small Andean genus restricted to Chile, grouping C. frauenfeldii and a few closely related species including Cercophana venusta, distinct from the neighbouring genus Neocercophana described later for related taxa. Regional catalogues of Argentine Saturniidae also list this species as an element of the trans-border Andean fauna.
2. General Morphological Characters
Works on Chilean Saturniidae describe Cercophana frauenfeldii as a large nocturnal moth with broadly developed wings, varying from brown-ochre to greenish in colour, with lighter patterns and variable transparent or hyaline markings. In adults, sexual dimorphism is expressed through strongly bipectinate antennae in the male, adapted for pheromone detection, while females typically have a more voluminous abdomen associated with egg production.
A recent article in the Brazilian Journal of Entomology, dedicated to the immature stages, describes in detail the egg, the four larval stages, the pupa and the cocoon, providing a complete morphological basis for identification at all stages of development.
3. Immature Stages and Development
The detailed study of the immature stages of Cercophana frauenfeldii shows that larval development comprises four well-differentiated instars, generally spanning from November to late January throughout most of the species' range. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of their host plants, displaying primarily nocturnal activity and concealing themselves among foliage during the day.
Pupation occurs within a silken cocoon whose structure and location may vary depending on habitat conditions, but which is generally situated in the leaf litter or on low-hanging branches.
Geographical Distribution in Chile
1. Latitudinal Gradient and Biogeographical Provinces
Chilean catalogues and syntheses record Cercophana frauenfeldii from the centre of the country to the humid temperate regions of the south, particularly in the Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Lagos and Aysén regions. A recent compilation of field data and naturalist collections confirms that the species follows an Andean-coastal gradient associated with temperate forests.
TA synthesis of published records and naturalist collections suggests two broad phenological and biogeographical groupings: the northern group, where adults fly mainly from February to mid-April, and the southern group (temperate rainforests), where the main flight period shifts to between April and June (the case of our visitor).
2. Southward Extension and the Magallanes Region
Works specifically addressing the Magallanes region highlight that C. frauenfeldii reaches the southern part of continental Chile, where it remains more localised. An article focused on the host plants of this moth confirms the presence of populations in temperate forests close to the southern limit of distribution of the host tree species, primarily belonging to three families: Gomortegaceae, Lauraceae and Winteraceae. The plants most represented in the studies conducted are Cryptocarya alba, Beilschmiedia miersii, Gomortega keule and Persea americana, all of which develop further north than our visitor.
While published records are concentrated mainly at sites further north than the Chilean Antarctic province where we explore, records from the Magallanes region make the species' presence in sub-Antarctic archipelagos plausible. According to observations made in 2003 in Parque Omora (Puerto Williams), this moth also uses the canelo or Magellan pepper (Drimys winteri) as a host plant, and this tree is ubiquitous in the Province of Cabo de Hornos.
The most recent works stress the need to better document the fine-scale distribution, phenotypic variability and population genetics of Cercophana frauenfeldii from the north-central to the far south of Chile.
Scientific Significance of This Local Record
Although this record has not yet been incorporated into Chilean academic syntheses, it is fully consistent with the documented distribution of C. frauenfeldii as far south as Magallanes and with the continuity of native forests in the region. Rather than revealing a major range extension, the observation adds a documented island locality within the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, in line with previous work from Magallanes and with the widespread presence of the host tree Drimys winteri in the Province of Cabo de Hornos.
This single opportunistic record does not allow any inference about population size, persistence or trends on Gordon Island. It should therefore be interpreted as an initial indication of presence rather than the result of a systematic survey. Nevertheless, it illustrates how small‑scale observations can help refine the fine‑scale distribution of forest‑associated moths in southern Chile, especially in sub‑Antarctic archipelagos that are logistically difficult to sample.
In the far south of Patagonia, targeted nocturnal sampling campaigns—combining light‑based methods with searches for larvae on potential host plants, ideally in collaboration with Chilean entomologists and institutions—would be needed to confirm and quantify the presence of C. frauenfeldii on Gordon Island and neighbouring islands. On‑board naturalist monitoring programmes such as those conducted by Association Karukinka can contribute complementary observations to national and international entomological databases, but they are best seen as a small part of a broader, long‑term research effort led by Chilean teams.
In the peatlands of Tierra del Fuego and the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, two groups of non-vascular plants quietly rule over landscapes that might seem hostile to any form of dense life: peat mosses (Sphagnum) and liverworts. Tiny to the naked eye, these bryophytes nevertheless structure one of the carbon-richest and most biodiverse ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere. Aboard the sailing vessel Milagro, during our expeditions through the southern channels of Tierra del Fuego, we observed them everywhere — on the bark of southern beeches (Nothofagus), on spray-battered shoreline rocks, on the spongy soils of the peat bogs. These are the plants that form the "miniature forests" described by biologist Ricardo Rozzi and the research team at Parque Omora.
Peatlands in Gordon island, Expedition Karukinka, February 2026
Sphagnum peatlands: sponges of carbon and water
Tierra del Fuego's peatlands formed between 15,000 and 10,000 years BP, in the wake of the last Quaternary glaciation. Today they cover a significant share of the landscape of the Isla Grande (notably the Mitre Peninsula), particularly in the wettest and least disturbed areas south of the Strait of Magellan.
The dominant species is Sphagnum magellanicum Brid., known locally as musgo pompón. This peat moss structures the peatland matrix by saturating soils with water, lowering pH and slowing the decomposition of organic matter — processes that lead to peat accumulation over sometimes considerable depths. The associated ecosystem services are multiple: regulation of hydrological processes, carbon capture and storage, habitat provision, and maintenance of water quality.
Within the peat itself, floristic composition is remarkably homogeneous. The environmental factor that best explains compositional variation between peatlands is water table height rather than species richness — underlining the importance of an intact hydrological regime for the conservation of these ecosystems.
On the Argentine side of the Isla Grande, the glacial valley of Carbajal, north of Ushuaia, flanked by the Sierra Alvear and drained by the Río Olivia, hosts an extensive domed peat plain dotted with lagoons. This site has become a pilot research area for Argentine science on subantarctic peatlands. Studies conducted by CADIC/CONICET and partner institutions use the Carbajal wetland as a case study to quantify carbon stocks, analyse the hydrological regulation role of these peatlands for Ushuaia, and assess the impacts of peat extraction on ecosystem stability.
A global bryophyte hotspot
The Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve is recognised as one of the world's centres of bryophyte diversity. On less than 0.01% of the world's land surface, the region concentrates more than 5% of all known bryophyte species, with a high proportion of endemics. Across the reserve, more than 300 liverwort species and 450 moss species have been recorded.
This richness is a direct product of climatic conditions: the humid temperate forests receive abundant rainfall in a remarkably pure atmosphere, free of air pollutants. The bryophytes and lichens that colonise trunks, rocks and soils are poikilohydric — capable of suspending their metabolism during temporary drought and resuming it rapidly upon rehydration — which makes them particularly resilient to freeze-thaw cycles.
During the Milagro expedition of February 2026, lichens and liverworts were observed and photographed at several sites on Gordon Island. Their identification benefited from the assistance of Ricardo Rozzi and José German Gonzalez Calderon, to whom the team extends its gratitude.
Liverworts: pioneers and indicators
Liverworts (division Marchantiophyta) form a distinct group within bryophytes, separate from mosses and hornworts. In the subantarctic forests of Cape Horn, they preferentially colonise Nothofagus trunks, dead wood and humid woodland edges, forming flat or cushion-shaped mats of a characteristic deep green.
Their sensitivity to atmospheric conditions makes them excellent bioindicators of air quality and ecosystem integrity. The Omora Ethnobotanical Park (Puerto Williams) uses them as educational mediators with local schools, to anchor in children an awareness of the global value of their territory's biodiversity.
Ecological roles in forests and bogs
In humid subantarctic forests, peat mosses and liverworts form thick mantles capable of retaining large quantities of water and regulating local moisture. They act as natural sponges, buffering the impact of frequent rainfall, limiting erosion and stabilising micro-habitats.
In the peatlands, peat mosses structure the saturated matrix that simultaneously stores water and large amounts of carbon — a role of particular strategic importance in the context of climate change. Precipitation in Patagonia is estimated to decrease by 10–20% by the end of the century, which would directly threaten the hydrological integrity of these ecosystems.
Peatlands of Tierra del Fuego photographed in Carbajal Valley (February 2013, cc Sébastien Pons)
Lichens, frequently associated with bryophytes on the same substrates, play a pioneer role on bare rock and glacial moraines, initiating soil formation that will later allow mosses and then vascular plants to establish themselves.
Threats and conservation
Bryophyte communities remain vulnerable to trampling, hydrological modification and the long-term effects of climate change. Disturbances caused by introduced species — particularly the North American beaver (Castor canadensis), introduced to Tierra del Fuego in the 1940s — profoundly alter watercourses and peatlands, indirectly modifying the substrates and microclimatic conditions that these miniature forests require.
Commercial harvesting of Sphagnum magellanicum for horticulture represents an additional pressure: this activity began around twenty years ago further north, in the Los Lagos and Magallanes regions, and its impact on natural populations is the subject of ongoing sustainable management efforts.
At the southeastern tip of the Isla Grande, the Mitre Peninsula extends this peatland belt toward the Atlantic. This almost uninhabited headland concentrates approximately 84–85% of Argentina's total peatland area: nearly 193,000 hectares of peat bogs out of a provincial total estimated at 270,000 hectares. In December 2022, Provincial Law No. 1461 created the Área Natural Protegida Península Mitre, integrated into Tierra del Fuego's protected-area system. Studies coordinated by CADIC/CONICET and local organisations show that these peatlands rank among Argentina's largest carbon reservoirs: they store the equivalent of several years of national carbon dioxide emissions, and have been recognised by the United Nations Environment Programme as one of the eleven most important peatland ecosystems on Earth.
Ecoturismo con lupa: seeing the world differently
To promote and protect this discreet biodiversity, the Omora Park team developed the concept of Ecoturismo con lupa (hand-lens ecotourism): an approach that places the discovery of mosses, liverworts and lichens at the centre of the visitor experience, within a "field environmental philosophy". Armed with a simple magnifying glass, visitors are guided to observe the bosques en miniatura and understand their ecological role.
This approach, documented in the film Viaje Invisible. Ecoturismo con Lupa (2013), illustrates how millimetre-scale biodiversity can transform a forest walk into a fully-fledged scientific exploration.
Bibliography
DOMÍNGUEZ, E. et al. Floristic biodiversity present in Sphagnum peatland bogs. Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia, 2021.
GOFFINET, B., ROZZI, R., MASSARDO, F. et al. Miniature Forests of Cape Horn: Ecotourism with a Hand Lens. University of North Texas Press, 2012.
ODEPA/INFOR. Musgo Sphagnum: manejo sostenible del recurso. Gobierno de Chile, 2018.
PIONTELLI, E. Sphagnum magellanicum Brid. en Chile. Boletín Micológico, 2008.
ROZZI, R. (coord.). Ecoturismo con lupa en el Parque Omora. Universidad de Magallanes.
SALINAS, J. et al. Generando conocimiento para el desarrollo de cultivos sustentables de Sphagnum. Revista INFOR, 2021.
VILA, I. et al. Ictiofauna en los sistemas límnicos de la Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. Revista Biología Marina, 1999.
VILLAGRA, J. et al. Sphagnum peatland bog, Magallanes. Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia, 2004.
At first glance, this insect might look like a slender wasp lost far from its nest. Yet, this specimen observed aboard the Milagro on April 9, 2026, north-east of Hoste Island—while the ship was anchored in a forest-lined area battered by bad weather—belongs to an entirely different world: that of the southern longhorn beetles, which remain very poorly documented.
Callisphyris leptopus philippi visiting the sailing boat Milagro April 9, 2026 (Karukinka Expedition, Hoste Island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile)
In this context, the encounter takes on real scientific significance. Callisphyris leptopus Philippi, 1859 belongs to the Cerambycidae, the "longhorn beetles," a family of beetles of which many species spend a large part of their development inside wood. The case of this species is particularly interesting because, despite its spectacular appearance, easily accessible documentation remains fragmentary, scattered among taxonomic records, forestry publications, and isolated sightings.
A species of the southern forests
Available sources place Callisphyris leptopus in southern America, with an established presence in Chile and the subantarctic forests of southwestern Argentina. The FAO forestry manual dedicated to insects damaging branches, shoots, and seedlings specifies that the species is reported in Chile from the Maule region down to Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic, as well as in Argentina within the subantarctic forests.
This distribution is not insignificant. It associates the insect with the cold temperate forest landscapes dominated by Nothofagus, an emblematic group of trees in subantarctic and Andean Patagonia. The Titan-GBIF page also explicitly links to a "Plants" section, indicating that understanding the species requires looking at its close ties with its host plants.
Well-identified forest hosts
The consulted forestry literature associates Callisphyris leptopus with several species of Nothofagus, notably the coihue, raulí, lenga, and ñirre. The larvae develop in branches or young stems, where they burrow galleries in relatively soft woody tissues.
An Argentine article detailing an individual found south of Ushuaia provides a very concrete testimony on this matter. The consulted experts describe the insect as a "perforador o taladrador de madera" (wood borer or driller), which "por lo general hace túneles en maderas jóvenes y blandas" (generally makes tunnels in young and soft wood) and is usually linked to the ñirre, without excluding the lenga as a possible host plant in this instance.
Size, shape, and mimicry
The adult has an elongated body and a unique silhouette, very different from the common image of a stocky beetle. According to the forestry record, the female reaches about 36 mm in length and 8.5 mm in width, while the male measures about 26 mm long and 6 mm wide. These dimensions belong to a visible, yet not massive insect, whose long legs further accentuate the impression of slenderness.
Callisphyris leptopus philippi visiting the sailing boat Milagro April 9, 2026 (Karukinka Expedition, Hoste Island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile)
Its appearance is one of its most striking features. The article published in Argentina highlights that this cerambycid beetle "trata de imitar al de las avispas" (tries to mimic the appearance of wasps), explaining that this mimicry serves to deter potential predators such as birds or small mammals. The Titan-GBIF page reinforces this interpretation down to the species' etymology: leptopus derives from the Greek leptos ("thin, slender") and pous ("foot"), literally meaning "with slender legs."
A largely hidden life cycle
Like many longhorn beetles, Callisphyris leptopus spends most of its life out of human sight. The larval stage takes place inside the wood, in galleries that can be long and winding. The FAO document mentions a biological cycle of about four years, with larvae developing in twigs and branches before the adults emerge in spring.
The article from Diario Prensa Libre completes this picture with more accessible field observations. The experts state that the insect can "vivir dos o tres años en el interior del árbol, haciendo galerías" (live two or three years inside the tree, making galleries), before emerging to reproduce and die. Even though exact durations vary according to sources, they all agree on one essential point: the adult is only a brief apparition at the end of a long, hidden existence within the tree.
A harmless but precious insect to observe
The Argentine article identifies the specimen observed in Ushuaia as an adult female, recognizable notably by the absence of the divided antennae attributed to the male in this account. It also mentions a remarkable detail: the legs bear hairs "like little brushes," to which fungal spores can adhere, later deposited on rough surfaces or in cavities during egg-laying.
The same article emphasizes an important point for the general public: the insect does not sting and poses no danger to humans. If an individual is encountered, the best course of action is simply to let it go on its way.
Why the observation aboard the Milagro matters
An insect found aboard a sailboat or an anchored ship might seem like a mere anecdote. In the case of Callisphyris leptopus, it is, on the contrary, a data point that deserves to be preserved, described, and placed in its ecological context. The species remains scarce in accessible synthesis literature, even though it possesses a distinctive morphology, a long life cycle, and a close link to southern forests that are themselves difficult to fully inventory.
Callisphyris leptopus philippi visiting the sailing boat Milagro April 9, 2026 (Karukinka Expedition, Hoste Island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile)
The context of the sighting further enhances its interest. A specimen landing aboard the Milagro during a storm, in a location bordered by forests, suggests movement facilitated by the wind or by adult flight activity in the immediate vicinity of its forest habitat. Without turning an isolated observation into definitive proof, this type of encounter reminds us how crucial naturalist exploration remains in the southern archipelagos, channels, and forest edges, where much data still relies on chance discoveries rather than continuous monitoring series.
In southern regions, where weather conditions often complicate fieldwork, every well-dated, localized, and illustrated observation can significantly enrich the knowledge of still poorly monitored species. The visit of Callisphyris leptopus aboard the sailboat Milagro is therefore not just another curiosity: it is a clear reminder that exploration remains a method of knowledge-gathering, sometimes triggered by a simple flutter of wings in the heart of a storm.
FAO. Insectos dañadores de ramas, brotes y plantulas. Technical manual mentioning Callisphyris semicaligatus as a synonym and describing its distribution, host plants, morphology, and biological cycle.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Callisphyris leptopus F. Philippi, 1859, species profile and occurrences.
Titan / GBIF France. "Cerambycidae (Longhorns)", record for Callisphyris leptopus R. Philippi, 1859, with etymology and access to distribution and host plant sections.
Karukinka will be represented by three members: Mirtha Salamanca (Selk’nam community), José German González Calderón (Yagan community) and Lauriane Lemasson (co‑founder and scientific coordinator). The colloquium will take place at the University of Montpellier, providing a privileged scientific and institutional framework for the presentation of Karukinka’s field‑based toponymy program in southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
This participation places Karukinka at the heart of a reflection on inclusive toponymy – that is, on the role of place names in the recognition of Indigenous languages, identities, and territories. The association’s work in the channels and fjords of Patagonia has long combined nautical exploration, archival research, and oral history, with the aim of restoring and re‑circulating the original Indigenous toponyms of the region.
In Montpellier, this project will be presented as a concrete example of how toponymy, understood not only as a technical or administrative matter, but as a symbolic act, can contribute to understand better the geographic space and to rehabilitate part of the Indigenous memory. The presence of Mirtha Selk’nam Salamanca and José German González Calderón, as representatives of peoples whose languages and territories were long invisibilized or erased, will give special weight to these words.
Karukinka’s participation in this UNESCO‑framed colloquium also highlights the interdisciplinary and transnational dimensions of its program: links between geography, anthropology, linguistics, history, cartography, and environmental science. By bringing the Patagonian and Fuegian landscapes into the university amphitheater, the association contributes to bridging field work and academic discourse, and to making the southern natives worlds more visible in the international scientific landscape.
The colloquium will thus be an opportunity to share the association’s methodology of collecting, verifying, and restoring place names, as well as to discuss the ethical and practical challenges of working with Indigenous peoples and state institutions. These reflections are intended to support the re‑indigenization of the toponymy of Patagonia and the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, and, more broadly, to inspire similar initiatives in other regions where the Indigenous presence has been historically neglected.
In this way, attending the UNESCO Inclusive Toponymy Colloquium in Montpellier is not only a scientific and institutional event for Karukinka, but also a continuation of its long‑standing commitment to the memory and heritage of Indigenous peoples, and to the re‑reading of the map from the perspective of the communities who have lived there for millenias.
The genus Aphrastura (family Furnariidae) groups together small insectivorous passerines endemic to the southwestern part of South America. It historically comprises two species: the thorn‑tailed rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda, synallaxis rayadito or espinoso rayadito), widely distributed in the temperate forests of Chile and southern Argentina, and the Masafuera rayadito (Aphrastura masafuerae), microendemic to Alejandro Selkirk Island in the Juan Fernández Archipelago.
Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) photographed during a Karukinka expedition in the channels of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (Chile, April 2025).
The rayaditos (in Yagán: tachikatchina) play a central role in the biology of southern temperate forests, where A. spinicauda is one of the most abundant tree‑cavity birds (and one of the most vocal!) in the Nothofagus forests, up to the southernmost limits of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.
Within this subantarctic context, the recent discovery of the subantarctic rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica) in the Diego Ramírez archipelago, to the southwest of Cape Horn, has revealed a remarkable case of island diversification within a treeless environment.
Table of contents
Distribution, diversity and ecosystems
Recent studies on the community of cavity‑using birds show that A. spinicauda is one of the most abundant passerines in southern temperate forests, with densities exceeding 9 individuals per hectare and a strong dependence on cavities excavated by the Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus). In contrast, A. subantarctica inhabits an herbaceous archipelago dominated by Poa flabellata and uses ground cavities or the structures of seabird nests for breeding, in the absence of terrestrial mammalian predators.
Morphology, ecology and behaviour
A. spinicauda is a small passerine of about 12 g, with a long, slender tail employed in its acrobatic movements on trunks and branches. Its streaked, brown‑reddish plumage provides excellent camouflage against bark and foliage, and it feeds primarily on insects and larvae, exploring bark and understory vegetation.
A. subantarctica, on the other hand, averages 16 g, with a longer bill, heavier legs, a shorter tail and a behaviour focused close to the ground, reflecting adaptation to a wind‑exposed, herbaceous habitat.
The behaviour of the rayadito in Yagán territory is illustrated by these words from Ursula Calderon: “Tachikatchina is a bird that sings in the mountains during the day, warning that someone is hidden: a wicked man, a sorcerer. It thus announces to the walker the presence of these people, or of a dog, of a cat… in short, of someone hidden. Its calls, when they sing together, are frightening, tsch‑tsch‑tsch, since they do not announce anything good” (p. 70, réf. 10).
Rayadito or Tachikatchina, photographed in April 2025 in Caleta Borracho (sailing expedition through the Patagonian channels, Chile).
Genetics, speciation and conservation
Genetic analyses show a clear differentiation between A. spinicauda and A. subantarctica, which justifies proposing A. subantarctica as a new emblematic species of subantarctic biodiversity. This distinction, combined with morphological and behavioural differences, places the Diego Ramírez archipelago as a natural laboratory of speciation and conservation, now protected by the Diego Ramírez–Drake Passage Marine Park.
For A. spinicauda, the conservation of old‑growth, cavity‑rich forests and the preservation of the Magellanic woodpecker population are essential to maintain the structure of rayadito populations within the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.
Sources :
Rozzi, R. et al. (2022). “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. Scientific Reports 12, 13957. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17985-4
Rozzi, R. et al. (2023). “The subantarctic rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas (repositorio UChile version)”. Repositorio UChile. https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/194760
Ramírez‑D’Crego, R. (2022). “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. CECS research‑related article. https://ramirodcrego.com/papers/article29/
Zenodo (2022). Dataset “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. Morphological and genetic data. https://zenodo.org/records/6983420
Rozzi, R. et al. (2022). “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. PMC version (NIH‑NIHMS). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418250/
Rozzi, R. et al. (2022). Taxonomic description of Aphrastura subantarctica (Wikispecies).
Marine, R. H. et al. (2022). “The extreme rainfall gradient of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve”. Science of the Total Environment ou équivalent (étude de biodiversité et de rayaditos dans les canaux).
Rozzi, R. et al. (2018). “Marine biodiversity at the end of the world: Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez islands”. PLOS ONE ou revue équivalente, décrivant la diversité des îles Diego Ramírez et la contexte écologique.
Rozzi, R. et al. (2017). "Guia Multi-Etnica de Aves de los Bosques Subantarticos de Sudamérica". Ediciones Universidad de Magallanes.
In southern Patagonia, within the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, lichens and bryophytes turn trunks, rocks, and peat bogs into true “miniature forests” that can only be discovered by leaning in with a hand lens.
This cryptogamic diversity reaches an exceptional level on Navarino Island, where work carried out by the Omora Ethnobotanical Park team has shown that more than 5% of the world’s bryophyte species are concentrated on less than 0.01% of the Earth’s surface, including a large proportion of endemic species. To this richness in mosses and liverworts is added a remarkable lichen flora, recently inventoried, which confirms the status of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve as a global hotspot for non-vascular organisms.
Placopsis lambii and Gunnera magellanica, seen in one arm of Tres Brazos bay (Karukinka's expedition "Biosphere Reserve of cape Horn", February 2026)
A hotspot at the end of the world
Navarino Island and the subantarctic region of Magallanes lie in a zone of humid temperate forests swept by winds, where abundant rainfall and cool temperatures favor the proliferation of mosses, liverworts, and lichens. This ecoregion has been identified as a global center of bryophyte diversity, with about 818 species recorded in the Magallanes region, which play a key role in nutrient regulation and water quality. Lichens also reach remarkable diversity there: an intensive floristic study on Navarino Island recorded 416 taxa of lichens and related fungi, including species new to science.
The forests of Navarino are located in one of the cleanest-rain regions on the planet, and the abundance of lichens sensitive to air pollution reflects the low contaminant load of the local air. This sensitivity makes lichens good bioindicators of air quality, a point often emphasized in the educational activities of Omora Park and in communication about the Biosphere Reserve.
Even in this relatively preserved region, bryophyte and lichen communities remain vulnerable to repeated trampling, hydrological changes, and the long-term effects of climate change on precipitation and temperature regimes. Disturbances caused by introduced species, such as the North American beaver, which profoundly modifies waterways and peat bogs in the region, can indirectly alter the substrates and microclimatic conditions needed by these miniature forests.
Bunodophoron patagonicum (Expedition Karukinka February 2026, Gordon island, Biosphere Reserve of cape Horn)
Bryophytes and lichens: discreet but essential protagonists
Bryophytes—mosses, liverworts, and hornworts—are small non-vascular plants, lacking roots and complex conducting tissues, yet they colonize trunks, soils, and rocks extensively in subantarctic forests. Lichens, long-lasting symbioses between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium, form crusts, leafy rosettes, or shrubby tufts that cover Nothofagus bark, dead wood, stones, and even moss cushions already in place. Together, these two groups make Cape Horn one of the places with the highest densities of non-vascular organisms in the world, to the point where a single tree can host more than a hundred epiphytic species.
Gunnera magellanica, Lepidozia chordulifera and Blechnum pennamarina, photographed during an expedition Karukinka in Tres Brazos Bay (Gordon island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile, February 2026)Plagiochila elata (expedition Karukinka February 2026, cape Horn province, Chile)
Bryophytes and lichens in southern Patagonia are poikilohydric, meaning they tolerate strong drying and can suspend their metabolism, resuming it rapidly once rehydrated, which makes them especially resistant to freeze–thaw cycles. Many species develop protective pigments and thick structures that reduce damage from UV radiation, wind, and direct exposure, especially in Magellanic tundra and coastal environments. These functional traits explain why, at the highest elevations of Navarino or on wind-swept shores, the dominant organisms are moss cushions and crustose or shrubby lichens.
Miniature forests
To make this richness perceptible beyond scientific circles, Ricardo Rozzi and colleagues proposed the metaphor of the “bosques en miniatura del Cabo de Hornos,” miniature forests formed by mosses, liverworts, lichens, and the microfauna that lives there. The practice of observing these small landscapes with a hand lens, pausing for a long time in front of a trunk or rock, turns a walk into a detailed natural history exploration of worlds that are usually invisible.
Lypocodium s.l. on the right (Tres Brazos bay, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, expedition Karukinka February 2026)
Miniature forests are not only vegetal: they also shelter a diverse microfauna of insects, mites, nematodes, and other invertebrates that feed, reproduce, and take refuge in moss and lichen cushions. These organisms contribute to the fragmentation of organic matter, the mineralization of nutrients, and sometimes the dispersal of spores and propagules, adding several trophic levels to what, to the naked eye, looks like a simple green or gray carpet.
Ecological roles in forests and bogs
In humid subantarctic forests, bryophytes and lichens form thick mantles on trunks, rocks, and the ground, capable of retaining large amounts of water and regulating local humidity. This water-retention capacity makes them natural sponges that soften the impact of frequent rainfall, limit erosion, and stabilize microhabitats for many invertebrates and microorganisms.
In peat bogs, bryophytes—especially sphagnum-type mosses and related forms—structure the matrix that accumulates organic matter in saturated environments, storing both water and large amounts of carbon.
Sphagnum, Baie Tres Brazos (cape Horn biosphere reserve, fueguian channels, Chile, expedition Karukinka, February 2026)
Lichens also play a pioneering role on bare rocks, glacial moraines, and coastal outcrops, where they initiate soil formation by physically and chemically altering the substrate. By retaining particles and moisture, these pioneer communities gradually create micro-niches favorable to the later establishment of mosses and then vascular plants.
Emblematic mosses and lichens
Among bryophytes, the moss Lepyrodon lagurus is often cited as an emblematic species of Omora Park, where it forms velvety mats on tree trunks and contributes to the luxuriant appearance of humid forests. This type of epiphytic moss retains rainwater, offers micro-refuges to a variety of invertebrates, and sometimes hosts lichens that settle on its surface, further increasing the complexity of the miniature forest.
Among lichens, the large tufts of Usnea, the “old man’s beards” hanging from Nothofagus branches, clearly illustrate the relationship between air purity and the vigor of lichen populations. The cushions and small trumpets of Cladonia that cover some soils or dead wood, as well as newly described species such as Candelariella magellanica, testify to the originality of Navarino’s lichen flora.
Miniature forest photographed during a trekking between Lëm and Wulaia (Navarino island, Chile) in February 2020 (Lauriane Lemasson)Sphagnum and liverworts (expedition in Tierra del Fuego, Lauriane Lemasson, March 2013)
Hand-lens ecotourism
To highlight and protect this discreet biodiversity, the Omora Park team developed the concept of “Ecoturismo con lupa,” a hand-lens ecotourism that places the discovery of mosses, liverworts, and lichens at the center of the experience. Coined by Ricardo Rozzi and colleagues, the term refers to a niche tourism practice in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, where visitors are invited to observe the “miniature forests” and understand their ecological role. Marked trails welcome small groups equipped with hand lenses, accompanied by guides who combine natural history, ecology, and ethical reflection on biocultural conservation.
This ecotourism model has been supported by projects aimed at developing scientific and educational tourism in the region, seeking to connect local economic benefits, environmental education, and the protection of subantarctic ecosystems. The documentary Viaje Invisible. Ecoturismo con Lupa illustrates this approach by following guided visits that immerse the public in the detailed contemplation of Cape Horn’s miniature forests.
Gackstroemia magellanica (Endemic liverwort of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (Karukinka expedition, February 2026))Gunnera magellanica – lichens Pseudocyphellaria berberina, Pseudocyphellaria frecineti, and Pseudocyphellaria granulata – Nephroma antarcticum (Karukinka expedition, Tres Brazos Bay, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, February 2026)
Biocultural conservation and education
Omora Park and its partners defend a “biocultural conservation” approach, linking biodiversity protection to the recognition of local cultures, especially Yaghan tradition and the communities of Puerto Williams. Bryophytes and lichens then become mediators for reflecting on the links between ways of life, environmental ethics, and responsibility toward ecosystems, notably through the “field environmental philosophy” proposed by Rozzi and colleagues.
Schools in Puerto Williams include the observation of miniature forests in their educational activities so that children recognize the global value of the biodiversity in their territory. This local appropriation helps counter “biocultural homogenization,” a concept that refers to the tendency to forget discreet organisms and lose the cultural knowledge and meanings associated with them.
Our thanks to Ricardo Rozzi and José German Gonzalez Calderon for their help in identifying the bryophytes from our images.
Short bibliography
Etayo, J., Sancho, L. G., Gómez-Bolea, A., Søchting, U., Aguirre, F., & Rozzi, R. (2021). Catalog of lichens (and some related fungi) from Navarino Island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia, 49.
Goffinet, B., Rozzi, R., Massardo, F., et al. (2012). Miniature Forests of Cape Horn: Ecotourism with a Hand Lens. University of North Texas Press.
Rozzi, R. (coord.) (n.d.). Ecoturismo con lupa en el Parque Omora. Universidad de Magallanes. Editorial presentation and book notice.
Cape Horn Center (CHIC). Ecoturismo con lupa: a way to discover the miniature forests of lichens and mosses.
Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad / Universidad de Magallanes. Omora Ethnobotanical Park – institutional presentation of the biological station.
Rozzi, R., et al. (2008). Patterns of species richness in sub-Antarctic plants and implications for conservation.
Documentary Viaje Invisible. Ecoturismo con Lupa. Omora Ethnobotanical Park, 2013.
Cultivating a Garden of Names in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve. Study on biocultural conservation, bryophytes and lichens, and environmental education.
