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Psyllids and lerps |
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Psyllids are a category of insects feeding on leaves of a variety of trees. Their sugary secretions are called lerps. Both are a food source for some species of birds (also e.g. for ants).
Psyllid infestation on the leaves of an Emubush, in this case
Eremophila longifolia; the brown spots are the insects,
the white bubbles are their sugary secretions which they
use as a protective shell
Psyllids are often found on the underside of leaves
They can also live on twigs, as shown here; their secretions
can be liquid (see the droplet in front of the insect)...
... or crystalline, as this one that has been picked up by a
Striped Honeyeater
Here another example of partly liquid sugary secretions
Eucalypt leaf covered with lerps
Many bird species will take both psyllids and lerps, whereas some miners, escpecially Bell Miners, will take only lerps and leave the psyllids behind, which then live another day to do more damage to their host tree.
Here a Noisy
Miner can be seen picking lerps off the underside of
eucalypt
leaves
