  Delta Scuti (delta Sct) stars are opacity-driven pulsators with masses of
1.5-2.5M$_{\odot}$, their pulsations resulting from the varying ionization of
helium. In less massive stars such as the Sun, convection transports mass and
energy through the outer 30 per cent of the star and excites a rich spectrum of
resonant acoustic modes. Based on the solar example, with no firm theoretical
basis, models predict that the convective envelope in delta Sct stars extends
only about 1 per cent of the radius, but with sufficient energy to excite
solar-like oscillations. This was not observed before the Kepler mission, so
the presence of a convective envelope in the models has been questioned. Here
we report the detection of solar-like oscillations in the delta Sct star HD
187547, implying that surface convection operates efficiently in stars about
twice as massive as the Sun, as the ad hoc models predicted.
