Scribbly gum (bark)

Description:

The scribbly gums are Australian eucalypts named after the 'scribbles' on their bark. These enigmatic tracks are tunnels made by the larva of a moth (Ogmograptis sp.). Scribbles appear on the trunks of about 20 species of gum trees.

Habitat:

Spotted in mixed eucalypt/kunzea bush. The distribution of Eucalyptus haemastoma is restricted to the coastal plains and hills of the Sydney region

Notes:

Several species of moth larvae are responsible for the scribbles on the trunks of eucalypt trees. The scribbles are caused by the larvae feeding on photosynthetic tissue just below the epidermal cells in the tree trunk. Find out more about the saga of the discovery of the scribble moths here: http://www.csiro.au/en/Outcomes/Environm...