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Urn gall

Apiomorpha urnalis

Description:

This thin stem gall is induced by a scale insect (Hemiptera). The insect has reduced features such as wings, head, legs and antennae. It is modified for feeding on plant sap, as hemiptern bugs do, but entirely within its prison/protective capsule.

Habitat:

Several were growing on a stem of yellow box in a suburban park.

1 Species ID Suggestions

l.cook
l.cook 11 years ago
urn galler (female)
Apiomorpha urnalis


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5 Comments

MartinL
MartinL 11 years ago

Thanks for your information.
Sadly I did not grow the larva parasitoid out. I did not even recognize it at the time. I have seen some other parasitoids in galls however
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/831...
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/161...
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/804...

l.cook
l.cook 11 years ago

All are galls of females. Did you rear the parasitoid wasp seen in pic 5?

MartinL
MartinL 11 years ago

The first image is certainly a female. The last two pics are of the same two individuals. I'm guessing the thicker one is an undeveloped female (maybe immature, or unmated?) and the thin larger one is an empty male gall.

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 11 years ago

Fantastic ! - is that a male and female gall next to each other in pic #2 ? - really is a great series Martin.

MartinL
MartinL 11 years ago

I added an image of the male gall.

MartinL
Spotted by
MartinL

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Spotted on Aug 13, 2012
Submitted on Aug 13, 2012

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