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Eriococcidae spspinifer
Galls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites. Plant galls are often highly organized structures and because of this the cause of the gall can often be determined without the actual agent being identified. This applies particularly to some insect and mite plant galls. In pathology, a gall is a raised sore on the skin, usually caused by chafing or rubbing. Insect galls are usually induced by chemicals injected by the larvae or the adults of the insects into the plants, and possibly mechanical damage. After the galls are formed, the larvae develop inside until fully grown, when they leave. In order to form galls, the insects must seize the time when plant cell division occurs quickly: the growing season, usually spring in temperate climates, but which is extended in the tropics.
A gall found growing on Eucalyptus leaves.
13 Comments
Pam I think I posted some incorrect details below that I copied from an error on another site.
These soft and hollow galls contain "gall forming psyllids" http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/114...
http://www.psyllids.org/SchedotriozaSOUN...
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/869...
thanks l.cook. In that case, how should I name this spotting?
The galls are induced by psyllids (superfamily Psylloidea). They are not eriococcids (Superfamily Coccoidea), though in the photos they look superficially like Apiomorpha spinifer.
Here are some similar galls that I found last season They contain a tiny psyllid bug that spend their growing stages inside the gall.
I think they may be Apiomorpha or Schedotrioza . Family = Eriococcidae spspiniferhttp://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/8699877
I think you can safely say it is an Eriococcid gall and the category maybe should be arthropods! Leuba is becoming the gall queen - I'll just ask her :)
Go for it Argy! Thanks for your comments. I think i'll just leave this as 'galls'
I think your first 2 have met an unnatural end. That last one (2 shots) looks normal and close to the Apiomorpha spinifer but still slightly different shape. There's many hundreds in Aus Pam and so few have been studied. Bris insects has a few - more than anyone else - but have only scratched the surface. Maybe it's up to us to do it :)
do you think they might be this...?
Spindle Gumtree Gall not quite the right shape, but then the ones I spotted were de-capped!
This may help http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_...
Sorry I didn't notice that.
Interesting galls Pam. Jellis this is not seed and not even the pods of the eucalyptus. It is growths caused by insects to be used as homes. They have evolved to look similar to some gum nuts. Pretty sneaky and cool. :)
http://members3.boardhost.com/eucalyptus...
Eucalyptus seed shell