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This leaf gall contains several larvae of gall wasps. They are likely to be from the family Cynipidae.
Suburban park. The gall was positioned on the mid vein of a eucalyptus leaf.
Spotted on Sep 3, 2012
Submitted on Sep 3, 2012
6 Comments
Thanks I. cook. That's similar to how I understand the situation too. The habitat has several other infested galls and healthy galls in one of the more abundant population that I know of. I should grow some wasps out for possible ID.
The gall looks most like that of a female of Apiomorpha spinifer (scale insect, Eriococcidae). The wasps would be gallers of the gall wall and the scale insect has been killed by the wasp galls encroaching on the scale insect's chamber.
John, my best parasitic wasp is this one which seems very common. I believe the larva belongs to the wasp. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/114... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/831...
I made a comment on the one posting (which I think is Fergusonina) - as to the Apiomorpha you seem to have had a fair few suggestions and I couldn't do any better.
I am interested in things that form galls on Eucalypts (and other things). My main area of interest is in parasitic wasps - but one of the things that I like are the ones that are secondarily phytophagous. There are a couple of major groups in Australia that have radiated onto Eucalyptus as gall formers. Having said that - most of them are undescribed, and I would be lucky to come up with genera on them. Species identifications are for the most part out of the questions.
If you have pictures or specimens get in touch - john.lasalle@csiro.au
Thanks for your interest John. I have already contained these but not sure if they will mature off the host tree. I will add a pic if they mature and can send to you if you provide an email. I have grown one last spring that may interest you. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/804... . Would you also comment on this one? http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/783...
Wow - very cool. There are a variety of things that induce galls on Eucalyptus. I haven't seen galls that look quite like this before - and it is quite difficult to tell what they might become from the larvae. If you can put them in a jar or something - hopefully the adults will come out. At that point you could post a picture of the adult, or even shoot some of them over to me in Canberra.