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Giant scale insect

Monophlebulus sp

Photo by Mark Ridgway
Published on Project Noah
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-37.881, 145.358

Field Notes

Description:

20mm long; waxy hairs over and around a flatish segmented body of blue and orange.

Habitat:

On trunk of very tall eucalyptus in very dense gum forest.

Notes:

This one would be a female as they have no wings and just walk around sucking sap.
Surprisingly large for a mealybug. I wonder if there's a ladybird to predate on this - she would be a monster.

Reference Links:

Mealybug (Monophlebulus sp)

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (7)
Mark Ridgway
No such luck asterope1. It was already coming to winter so I was looking for mushrooms. I was amazed to find any 'moving' life.
Asterope
Did you see any younger ones? they are covered in white fluff - when they are all feasting on tree sap it seriously looks like patches of snow...
MartinL
Very nice spotting argybee. I have one too, in my archives, I will dig it up so we can compare.
Maria dB
like these more pastel-looking ones
Photographed
PublishedMarch 20, 2012

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