Favoritos de elmarvrooyen

Growing under broadleaved trees in Afrotemperate forest. Single fruit body with dark shiny stipe that felt smooth and firm like fibreglass. The appearance is similar to both Amauroderma and Ganoderma lucidum complex.

This is a follow up on my previous observation of these galls.

I collected a number of them on the White elephant trail at Diepwalle - there's a good example of the tree in which they occur about 2 km from the start of the trail. I did not manage to get any good photos of the tree against the bright sky, but see the close up of a branch with these galls on some of the leaflets. I'm convinced it is not a Halleria lucida, a number of which was in flower in close proximity to the "gall tree" (no flowers or fruit on it), although it has similar compound(?) leaves. Also, a Halleria lucida close to the Diepwalle nursery and identified by a nursery worker, had flowers and fruit as shown in one of the photos above. The galls look very similar, but is attached to the central vein of a leave.

At home I opened one of the galls and was pleasantly surprised to see an insect emerging from the small cavity in the center. It moved about the fleshy, cut part and every now and then "whirred" its wings without taking to flight. I assume it has not developed fully yet.