Eastern Horn Lerp (Creiis corniculatus)

These were small slightly flattened trumpet-shaped lerps spotted on eucalyptus leaves. The broader part of these lerps were transparent and appeared fragile. each of these lerps appeared to have a nymph inside with their pale orange coloured bodies clearly visible through the transparent lerp shell.
These lerps are protective covers constructed by the nymphs of small hemipterans. The nymphs feed under the protection of these covers.
Unlike lerps of Glycaspis species, I could not see any ants crawling around these lerps. I assume therefore that these lerps are not made of the same material as the Glycaspis species. Also, this species of Creiis lerps seemed keratinous. Various birds feed on lerps but a study on lerp-feeding by birds suggests that birds avoided the Creiis species of lerps.
Spotted on Mugga Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) in the Cocoparra National Park, New South Wales