Recent observations on October 25 confirmed that young *Eucalyptus camaldulensis* recruits along a country highway were suffering from severe foliage damage. Investigators ruled out brief hot weather spells, instead identifying an infestation of psyllids, most likely from the genus *Cardiaspina*. Highly territorial meat ants were found actively tending the saplings to harvest sugary honeydew produced by the sheltering nymphs. This symbiotic relationship inadvertently protects the destructive nymphs from natural predators like birds.
Key points
The selective dieback of young *Eucalyptus camaldulensis* saplings was driven by insect h…: The selective dieback of young *Eucalyptus camaldulensis* saplings was driven by insect herbivores rather than brief weather events.
Psyllids, likely from the genus *Cardiaspina*, serve as the primary culprit behind the se…: Psyllids, likely from the genus *Cardiaspina*, serve as the primary culprit behind the severe leaf damage.
Mutualistic meat ants defend the harmful psyllid nymphs against predators such as birds t…: Mutualistic meat ants defend the harmful psyllid nymphs against predators such as birds to secure their honeydew supply.
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I was driving down a country highway on the 25th of October, in the late afternoon sun. One of the better things to do when driving is a bit of drive-by botany. Honestly it's hard to ignore for me. I couldn't help but notice that all the new River Red Gums recruits appeared to be dead or dying.
When I use the term 'recruits', its a shortening for the word 'recruitment'. And recruitment in this context is the process by which new individuals of a particular plant species are added to an existing population. In my case this was the collective group of young River Red Gums Eucalyptus camaldulensis, the seedlings/saplings and immature trees. All of which self-seeded and surrounded the older parent tree. There can even be a 'recruitment cohort', where all the recruits are of a similar age to one another.
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