The bush coconut (scale insect gall) as food at Kiwirrkurra, Western Australia

The bush coconut is used as a source of food by several Australian Aboriginal communities. It is actually a scaleinsect gall. Originally all bush coconut insects were given the same species name, but now there are at least three species in Australia. The bloodwood trees at Kiwirrkurra (Western Australia), Corymbia opaca , had bush coconuts built by the scale insect Cystococcus pomiformis . The use of the coconut is described by some Aboriginal...