Species Apiomorpha ovicola (Schrader, 1863)
- Brachyscelis ovicola Schrader, H.L. 1863. Observations on certain gall-making Coccidae of Australia. Transactions of the Entomological Society of New South Wales 1: 1-6 [2].
- Brachyscelis glabra Tepper, J.G.O. 1893. Descriptions of South Australian brachyscelid galls. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 17: 265-280 [278].
- Brachyscelis floralis 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 [376].
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Froggatt, W.W. 1894. Some account of the gall-making insects of Australia. Australian Natural History 5: 109-114 [76] (synonymy of Brachyscelis glabra Tepper, 1893)
- 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 [47] (synonymy of Brachyscelis floralis Froggatt, 1898)
Ecological Descriptors
Sap-feeder.
ID Keys
(Gullan, P.J., 1984) [10] (adult female; Adult females and female galls of Apiomorpha)
GENERAL
Descriptions of the adult female, female gall, male gall, and a photo of the galls are presented by 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 in addition to a line drawing of the female.
BIOLOGY
Female gall is found on stems and occasionally on the calyx tube of a bud or fruit, occurring singly or in aggregations often with male galls. Male galls are mainly found on leaves, but sometimes on the stem (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 longer ventrally than dorsally; abdomen attenuate not curvilinearly tapered to base of anal lobes; anal ring not concealed by sclerotized shield; anal lobes papillose; spine-like setae in medial cluster, often with well defined posteromarginal row on dorsum of segments II–VIII; larger dorsal spine-like setae forming mediolongitudinal band on thorax and abdomen; dorsomedial thoracic spine-like setae clustered between intersegmental lines (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
Female gall ovoid to fusiform, apex rounded to distinctly truncate. Male galls tubular with apex sometimes slightly dilated, squat (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).