Opiomorpha pharetrata male gall early development

Male compound gall on female Apiomorpha pharetrata gall

21st November, 2024

Today I sighted the first male compound gall growing on a female Apiomorpha pharetrata gall. There were around 30 individual male galls in this cluster and all were still closed. This was on a leaf of a eucalypt sapling on home trail, on right before Orchid Track.

Ants were clambering around the galls, ready to collect honeydew from the open, wax-covered pore of the female gall.

side view of female gall with male compound gall attached

view of wax-covered open pore of female gall

view from above of male compound gall

Early stages in formation of the compound male gall of Apiomorpha pharetrata

21st November, 2024

Two galls found close to one another on a leaf of a eucalypt sapling on home trail, on right before Orchid Track.

Both have an active female in the female gall as seen by movement and wax around apical pore. Each has a reddish cup shaped structure attached close to the apical end.

Inside the cup are hundreds of yellow crawlers. These are immobile, attached to the inside surface of the cup. However some were seen moving around the rim of the cup.

There is no sign of formation of a male gall within the cup at this time.

This video shows the female gall bug protruding her anal lobes from the pore at the end of her gall chamber. It then moves to the compound male gall which is developin g on the surface of her gall. The inner surface of that gall is covered in first instar nymphs - “crawlers”.

I found some earlier developing male galls on female galls on a eucalypt sapling on home trail, just after Orchid trail on left, adjacent to a killed Acacia obtusifolia bush.

Gall marked with light blue wool

22nd November, 2024

Dark red male gall at apical end of female gall. Elevated sides which are turned over at top, obscuring inner face, but it is clear that crawlers are inside. The pore on the female gall has wax around it so is apparently active. An ant seeking honey dew supports that.

23rd November, am

Gall hasn’t changed much from day before.

24th November

25th November

14th December

Compound male gall has now expanded to a wide platform with a flat surface. It is made up of many individual galls fused together.

15th December

Little change from previous day

Gall marked with green wool

22nd November, 2024

The female gall has a small female gall attached at its basal end. A raised dark red area at the apical end, close to the apical pore has ~14 crawlers on its surface. This appears to be the earliest stage of male gall development.

23rd November morning

Looks much the same as day before - perhaps a few more crawlers on the incipient gall, which hasn’t changed much. A drop of honeydew has collected at the pore of the female gall.

24th November

Clearly more crawlers on surface of the gall than on previous day. Sides of gall are somewhat higher.

25th November

Yet more crawlers have arrived and now form more than one layer over inner surface.. Sides of the gall have continued to grow upwards.

14th December

Male compound gall has now grown markedly. Its sides are elevated and are curved inwards. The inner surface lies beneath the upper edge and is rough, apparently made up of fused galls, although individual male galls cannot be seen clearly. No free crawlers can be seen on its surface.

15th December

Little change from previous day, but a couple of crawlers seen on upper surface of the gall

Gall marked with purple wool

Another gall on same sapling. This one has a cleft across it and many crawlers have gathered on its lips and inside. There are other smaller dark red areas alongside which may also become part of the male gall.

23rd November, 2024

24th November, 2024

25th November

14th December

Compound male gall has enlarged somewhat. Crawlers are no longer evident on its surface. The upper side is flat and consists of several individual galls fused together. A single crawler is present on the side of the male gall.