Apiomorpha

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Apiomorpha
Apiomorpha conica
galls of 3 adult females.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamily: Coccoidea
Family: Eriococcidae
Genus: Apiomorpha
Rübsaamen
species

See text

Apiomorpha is a genus of scale insect that induces galls on species of Eucalyptus. Galls are initiated by first-instar nymphs (crawlers) on new plant growth and, when mature, the galls exhibit marked sexual dimorphism. Those induced by females are among the largest and most spectacular of arthropod-induced galls whereas those of males are small and most are tubular.[1] Apiomorpha is known only from Australia and New Guinea although its host, Eucalyptus, has a wider distribution into Indonesia as well. Apiomorpha is currently classified in the Eriococcidae,[2] but this family is not monophyletic.[3]

Morphology

Adult female of Apiomorpha alongside a winged adult male on a pin

Like other scale insects, Apiomorpha is highly sexually dimorphic.[1] Adult females are wingless, have very small (or no) eyes, and their legs are short and stubby. A female remains within the gall she initiated when a crawler, mating through the small apical opening of her gall. She reproduces inside the gall and her tiny offspring (≤ 0.4 mm) escape through the same small opening. Adult females of Apiomorpha can range in length from 2 mm to 45 mm, depending on species, and can live up to five years as adults.[4] In contrast, adult males of Apiomorpha are small (about 1 mm in length) and winged. Like males of other eriococcids, they do not have a mouth and, instead, have an extra pair of eyes on the underside of their head (i.e., they have four eyes, two on top and two underneath). Males leave their galls as adults and search for females. They are weak fliers and typically walk on their host plant looking for females before taking to the air. After leaving their gall, adult males only live about one day.[4]

Species

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Gullan, P.J. 1984. A revision of the gall-forming coccoid genus Apiomorpha Rübsaamen (Homoptera: Eriococcidae: Apiomorphinae). Aust. J. Zool. Suppl. Ser. 97:1-203. doi:10.1071/AJZS097
  2. ↑ Miller, D. & Ben-Dov, Y. 2005. ScaleNet Archived 2013-04-04 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q52599872 (PDF), Wikidata Q52599872
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cook, L. G. and P. J. Gullan (2001). "Longevity and reproduction in Apiomorpha Rübsaamen (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea)". Bollettino di Zoologia Agraria e Bachicoltura. 33: 259–265.
  5. ↑ Froggatt, W. W. (1898). "Notes on the subfamily Brachyscelinae, with descriptions of new species. Part V." Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 23: 370–379. ISSN 1839-7263.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 No label or title -- debug: Q29390869, Wikidata Q29390869
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 No label or title -- debug: Q65923937, Wikidata Q65923937
  8. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q67239966, Wikidata Q67239966
  9. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q97569495, Wikidata Q97569495
  10. ↑ Schrader, H. L. (1863). "Observations on certain gall-making Coccidae of Australia". Transactions of the Entomological Society of New South Wales. 1: 1–6. ISSN 1321-6244.
  11. ↑ Gullan P.J. & Jones M.G. (1989). A new species of gall-forming coccoid (Insecta: Homoptera: Eriococcidae) from Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 14, 321-329.
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