Stem galls - Parasitic wasp (Chalcidoidean)

Terobiella sp.

Description:

Cluster of bright green galls about 15mm, looking like miniature bananas, growing from the stem of a eucalyptus tree. Some of these galls had a reddish tinge.

Habitat:

eucalyptus tree- species unknown

Notes:

Thanks to martinl for identifying these as wasp galls. I now know that they are galls induced by a parasitic chacidoidean wasp, like this one
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:b... I am not sure of the species so will leave it with just the generic name.

Species ID Suggestions

4 Comments

Leuba Ridgway 10 years ago

Thanks for looking at this Martin, and thanks also for dissecting them for us !!. Can't find much on it on the Web.

MartinL 10 years ago

I am guessing these are produced by a wasp based on dissection of several galls and finding maggot type larvae and not coccids nor psyllid nymphs.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/374... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/142...

Leuba Ridgway 11 years ago

Seema, thanks for your comment. I checked the Net for information on these but found only two other photos-both from Project Noah and from here, Victoria, Melbourne - they might be restricted to a certain species of eucalyptus. It's a pity I don't know the species of gum tree. Will have to keep looking....