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Eastern Horn Lerp

Creiis corniculatus

Description:

These were small slightly flattened trumpet-shaped lerps spotted on eucalyptus leaves. The broader part of these lerps were transparent and appeared fragile. each of these lerps appeared to have a nymph inside with their pale orange coloured bodies clearly visible through the transparent lerp shell.

Habitat:

Spotted on Mugga Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) in the Cocoparra National Park, New South Wales

Notes:

These lerps are protective covers constructed by the nymphs of small hemipterans. The nymphs feed under the protection of these covers.
Unlike lerps of Glycaspis species, I could not see any ants crawling around these lerps. Also, this species of Creiis lerps seemed keratinous. I assume therefore that these lerps are not made of the same sugary substance as those of the Glycaspis species.
Various birds feed on lerps but a study on lerp-feeding by birds suggests that birds avoided the Creiis species of lerps.

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7 Comments

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 6 years ago

Thank you Leanne.

LeanneGardner
LeanneGardner 6 years ago

Great spotting Leuba and good info too. Such interesting little creatures.

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 6 years ago

Thanks Chun. Good aren't they ! First for me too and refreshingly different from the millions of glycaspis you see everywhere !!

ChunXingWong
ChunXingWong 6 years ago

I have never seen a lerp like this. Amazing spotting!

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 6 years ago

Thanks Felix.
Machi, California has a lot of River Redgums (E.cameldulensis) and they have a serious lerp problem - Glycaspis brimblecombei. Next time you're in California check those trees...Good luck

These were unusual and the first for me.

Felix Fleck
Felix Fleck 6 years ago

Great spotting and info!

Machi
Machi 6 years ago

I still haven't found a lerp. Nice find!

Leuba Ridgway
Spotted by
Leuba Ridgway

NSW, Australia

Spotted on Jul 25, 2017
Submitted on Jul 27, 2017

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