In biology, a lerp is a structure of crystallizedhoneydew produced by larvae of psyllid bugs as a protective cover. These animals are commonly referred to as lerp insects, of which there are over 300 species in Australia.[1]
Lerps are energy rich, consisting mostly of starch, with some proteins and fats.[1] They are eaten by flying foxes, possums and birds such as pardalotes and honeyeaters.[1]
Dobson, T. (1857). "On Laap, or Lerp, the Cup-Like Coverings of Psyllidae Found on the Leaves of Certain Eucalypti". Transactions of the Microscopical Society & Journal. 5: 123–130. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2818.1857.tb02049.x.
Ernst, W.H.O.; Sekhwela, M.B.M. (1987). "The chemical composition of lerps from the mopane psyllid Arytaina mopane (Homoptera, Psyllidae)". Insect Biochemistry. 17 (6): 905–9. doi:10.1016/0020-1790(87)90027-8.
Faast, R.; Clarke, P.A.; Taylor, G.S.; Salagaras, R.L.; Weinstein, P. (24 September 2020). "Indigenous Use of Lerps in Australia: So Much More Than a Sweet Treat". Journal of Ethnobiology. 40 (3): 328–347. doi:10.2993/0278-0771-40.3.328. S2CID221910447.
Hollis, D. (2004). Australian Psylloidea: Jumping Plantlice and Lerp Insects. Australian Biological Resources Study. ISBN9780642568366.