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This gall was one of many within a major stem of a young eucalyptus tree. It is about 45mm long. Unlike Apiomorpha it was laterally contained in the stem full length and it had no obvious openings or refined symmetry. Apiomorpha always seem attached at one end with an opening at the other.
Eucalyptus stem (E.globulus) in a local sports reserve.
Pic #2 is about 6 weeks before pic #1 by which time some degradation has appeared possibly by weather and/or attacks from other creatures. Keys for size comparison. May have been raided/parasitised judging by the small side holes or could they be exits?
This gall resembles the stem galls on Molloy Red Box (Eucalyptus leptophleba) on page 6 of 'Life n a Gall' by Rosalind Blanche
..same as first pic here... http://www.apstas.com/Insect_Induced_Pla...
Hi Penelope. I have decided to withhold an ID for Apiomorpha sp. I realise that my photos aren't good enough to show the full story ie. this gall is not attached like apiomorpha sp at one end but is from within the stem itself. Please comment if you see fit. Thanks.
Brilliant! Thanks so much Penelope. Great info. It's so hard to find good quality information about our galls that I'm wary of developing too much of an interest in them :-)
Dear Mark,
This gall does not appear to be a gall of Apiomorpha variabilis. The gall of A. variabilis is usually pyriform (pear-shaped) with a single opening at the top of the gall. If you open a living gall of A. varaibilis, you would find two chambers: an inner chamber where the adult female resides, and an outer chamber where ants (particularly from Crematogaster spp.) tend to make nests and protect the adult female from parasitoids. Also, species of Apiomorpha are more host-specific than currently reported, with specimens of A. variabilis not being found on the group (subgenus Symphyomyrtus) Eucalyptus globulus is classified in.
However, it might be a gall induced by a female of Apiomorpha conica, as this species is known to occur on E. globulus.
Penelope Mills
Spotted on Sep 4, 2012
Submitted on Sep 6, 2012
