Spine headed apiomorph (Eriococcid) (Apiomorpha spinifer)

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Photo by MartinL

Published on Project Noah

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Field Notes

Description:

Gall-inducing Scale Insect (Eriococcidae)
Female gall has curious bell shaped structure.
Dissection revealed one pale yellow (female) coccid insect inside.
She has the difinitive spine on her head.
Smaller galls (pic#5) are possiblyy formed by winged males.

Habitat:

On leaves of young sapling eucalypus.
Male galls are on higher or outer leaves.

http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/imagedisplay.php?irn=374688&re…

Notes:

Update, males are the lower flared structure, as a compound male gall. The singular ones are possibly solitary male galls meaning the males are polymorphic. This is a guess
Pic #6 taken over six months later (June 2012) shows possible young female gall re infestation in mid winter. All mature galls were brown and excised. no male galls were seen.
The male compound gall forming the cupula is formed on the maternal (mother) gall. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/…

This image of a similar structure is names differently http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/imagedisplay.php?irn=374688&re…

Reference Links:

Australian Faunal Directory

Species ID Suggestions

spiny headed apiomorph

Apiomorpha spinifer

l.cook

+ vote

Comments (26)

Mark Ridgway

Good. At least this one is nailed down. Now for the other 9999 :) It would be nice to think Lyn Cook might visit regularly.

MartinL

Here is a definitive link http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=396130

MartinL

Yes Argy Bee. It is interesting that all the galls are gone after some time.

Mark Ridgway

The term windfall refers to apples and gall IDs :-)

MartinL

Thank you I.cook. This insect has been a puzzle for me. My ID is based on this link http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/imagedisplay.php?irn=374688&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=1596064 Also brisbaneinsects gives the name A. spinifer to something else http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_softbugs/SpindleGumtreeGall.htm Upon reading D of S & E it concurs with you. ("male compound gall"). There seems to be some poor data out there for us novices. Thanks for checking on us.

l.cook

Nice find and nice photos. This is Apiomorpha spinifer though, not A. pharetrata. You can see the spines on the tip of the head of the female. A. pharetrata females do no have these spines. The galls also differ in that the males of A. spinifer make a single cupule on their mother whereas in A. pharetrata they form separate pieces.

MartinL

Update. Added new pic #6. After six months, all galls have been excised by the tree and new galls, (probably young females) are growing along the primary vein of fresh adjacent leaves, the next generation but no male galls were seen. To date, I have only observed this species of gall in two localities.

Mark Ridgway

Good find... mystery solved. (must save a copy of that pdf)

MartinL

Thanks to leuba. Your link hare, unravelled this mystery entomology.ucdavis.edu/gullanandcranstonlab/.../70Gullan_etal2005_B.pdf

MartinL

Finally a link to this gall! Apiomorpha sp. The flared structure is a compound gall produced by the male scale insects! http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/imagedisplay.php?irn=374688&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=1596064

Mark Ridgway

I suspect that yours should be spheroid and have been bitten by cockies martin.

MartinL

Oh thank you, leuba. That shows the dimorphic galls very clearly. My tree with lanceolate leaves is probably not a box but I am not certain. I believe my female gall nsect plant her eggs into the base of the gall, stimulating the formation of the bizarre bell structure below, with gill slits for each offspring. Other species of gall insects simply drop eggs out of the anterior hole.

Leuba Ridgway

martinl, is the tree on which you found the galls a Grey Box? . You've probably seen/read this: http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0020/78023/Apiomorpha_sp_1_620.JPG Galls on Eucalyptus mollucana. It refers to Apiomorpha sp scale insect. I acknowledge that the cigar shaped galls on your picture are a little different to the ones on the website.

MartinL

This gall is very unusual for us in Australia too. Sorry ZarinaSak I don't think they are edible at all. Eucalyptus leaves have toxic chemicals and taste dreadful. The gall tissue is tough and woody and they are full of grubs. No thanks.

ZarinaSak

Hi martin, this gall is unusual for us in south east asia. Is this edible?

craigwilliams

Wow Martin! What a great gall and excellent, thorough treatment of it! Thank you

Mark Ridgway

Yes. This is obviously quite a sophisticated subject. I will start reading now. The simple acacia gall wasps I posted before have got me going when I found out how critical they are in keeping the plant under control.... reporting back soon. Thanks.

MartinL

Did you check the pic#5 which is the nearby males outnumbering their imprisoned females by bout 20 to 1?

Mark Ridgway

Fantastic spot martinl and great information. Sounds like a complex but interesting subject.

Leuba Ridgway

very interesting and thanks for the cross section.

MartinL

It's hard to find the name if this gall forming bug. Thanks for your comments.

Mihovil

Very nice and interesting photos. I've never seen something like this before to be honest.

lori.tas

Hi Martin, from the size I'd say a scale insect (in the family Eriococcidae), rather than a wasp gall. But I've never seen one this shape.