Gum lerp

Description:

Each of these white sugary caps hide a small nymph of the red gum lerp.

Habitat:

Eeucalyptus leaf

Notes:

Pic #2 The bug is covered by a sugary lid (called a lerp) that has a distinct and different pattern for each species. Pic #3 A cluster of eggs can be seen and the nymphs have not moved far before building their homes. This is called the red gum lerp not because they are red but because they often grow on the river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_... http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES...