Species Apiomorpha pharetrata (Schrader, 1863)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Brachyscelis pharetrata Schrader, H.L. 1863. Observations on certain gall-making Coccidae of Australia. Transactions of the Entomological Society of New South Wales 1: 1-6 [3].
• Brachyscelis thorntoni Froggatt, W.W. 1893. Notes on the family Brachyscelidae, with some account of their parasites, and descriptions of new species. Part I. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 7: 353-378 [371].
• Brachyscelis nux Fuller, C. 1896. Forest insects. Some gall-making coccids. Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 7: 209-218 [216].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Froggatt, W.W. 1898. The growth of vegetable galls. Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 9: 385-391, 488-499 [495] (synonymy of Brachyscelis nux Fuller, 1896)
• Gullan, P.J. 1984. A revision of the gall-forming coccoid genus Apiomorpha Rübsaamen (Homoptera: Eriococcidae: Apiomorphinae). Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 97: 1-203 [79] (synonymy of Brachyscelis thorntoni Froggatt, 1893)

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

ID Keys

(Gullan, P.J., 1984) [10] (adult female; Adult females and female galls of Apiomorpha)

GENERAL

Gullan, P.J. 1984. A revision of the gall-forming coccoid genus Apiomorpha Rübsaamen (Homoptera: Eriococcidae: Apiomorphinae). Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 97: 1–203 provided detailed descriptions and illustration of the adult female and provided comprehensive data on the male and female galls. Ferris, G.F. 1957. Notes on some little known genera of the Coccoidea (Homoptera). Microentomology 22: 59–79 gave an illustration of the adult female as Apiomorpha thorntoni.

BIOLOGY

Female gall occurs on leaf blades, petioles, stems, or buds. Male galls are attached to the female gall (see Gullan, P.J. 1984. A revision of the gall-forming coccoid genus Apiomorpha Rübsaamen (Homoptera: Eriococcidae: Apiomorphinae). Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 97: 1–203).

SYSTEMATICS

Slide-mounted adult female is characterized by having: abdominal segment IX with ventral and dorsal lengths subequal, not fused with abdominal segment VIII; abdominal segment IX with posterior margin truncate ventrally; venter of head without spine-like setae; multilocular pores present on dorsum in anterolateral margins of most segments (see Gullan, P.J. 1984. A revision of the gall-forming coccoid genus Apiomorpha Rübsaamen (Homoptera: Eriococcidae: Apiomorphinae). Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 97: 1–203).

STRUCTURE

Gall of female ellipsoidal, sometimes ribbed, apex rounded to truncate Male galls are compound and produced by male nymphs. Galls of males and females of 2 distinct types (see Gullan, P.J. 1984. A revision of the gall-forming coccoid genus Apiomorpha Rübsaamen (Homoptera: Eriococcidae: Apiomorphinae). Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 97: 1–203).

General References

Fuller, C. 1896. Forest insects. Some gall-making coccids. Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 7: 209-218 [699] (Brachyscelis pharatrata: misspelling of species name)

Lidgett, J. 1899. A catalogue of Australian Coccidae. The Wombat 4: 37-64 [61] (Brachyscelis thornthoni: described female; misspelling of species name)

History of changes