Apiomorpha is a genus of scale insect that induces galls on species of Eucalyptus. Galls are initiated by first-instarnymphs (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. Apiomorpha is known only from Australia and New Guinea although its host, Eucalyptus, has a wider distribution into Indonesia as well.
Adult female of Apiomorpha alongside a winged adult male on a pin
Like other scale insects, Apiomorpha is highly sexually dimorphic. 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 (≤0.4mm) escape through the same small opening. Adult females of Apiomorpha can range in length from 2mm to 45mm, depending on species, and can live up to five years as adults. In contrast, adult males of Apiomorpha are small (about 1mm 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.
1234Gullan, 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
12Mills, Penelope; Thomas L. Semple; Garland, Kathleen; Cook, Lynette Gai (2016). "Two recently discovered species of Apiomorpha (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) feeding on eudesmid eucalypts in Western Australia reaffirm host conservatism in this gall-inducing scale insect genus". Invertebrate Systematics. 30 (3): 255. doi:10.1071/is15039. WikidataQ65923937.{{Cite Q}}: Missing first/last names in Wikidata for Thomas L. Semple (help)
↑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.