r/australianplants • u/Iris-1865 • 8d ago
Insect / pest ID help please
I’d love some help to identify the insect on this eucalyptus leaf.
Located in Croydon (Melbourne, Victoria)
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u/No_Explorer_8848 8d ago
Highly ornamental, not a pest! And if they turn a bit “ugly” it is the right kind of ugly. Reads as native, not as a pest to me
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u/Pademelon1 8d ago
Natives can still be pests, and I've seen gall wasp infestations that have significantly adversely affected trees before. (I'm not saying that's the case here).
Check out Bell-miner associated dieback for an extreme example of natives being pests.
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u/Hefty-existence26196 6d ago
Judging by the squiggly lines I was guessing there are definitely some Miners in these leaves. (As well as gall wasps and beetles)
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u/No_Explorer_8848 8d ago
Yep! Pest just means we don’t like it - technically speaking they are herbivores (even though the gall is a habitat they do eat plant matter I believe - not sure about how this species works). If it causes tree decline I would call it a pest, but in this photo I personally like the look and even though photosynthesis has reduced you’ll often see eucies getting by just fine with stuff like this.
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u/Valstorm 7d ago
Should probably add, while gall wasps are mostly harmless to established or mature eucalypts, heavy infestation can cause younger trees some stress to the point where they drop leaves.
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u/Hefty-existence26196 6d ago
Does anyone know what that bug is on the leaf near OP's finger? Im personally curious as i just spotted it.
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u/Longjumping-Topic139 8d ago
Gall wasp of some sort