Species Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell, 1896)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Coccus cacti opuntiae Cockerell, T.D.A. 1896. Notes and descriptions of the new Coccidae collected in Mexico by Prof. C.H.T. Townsend. Bulletin of the United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Entomology, Technical Series 4: 31-39 [35].

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

ID Keys

(Gill, R.J., 1993) [148] (female; USA, California); (De Lotto, G., 1974) [173-174] (female; world)

BIOLOGY

Gill, R.J. 1993. The Scale Insects of California: Part 2. The Minor Families (Homoptera : Coccoidea). Sacramento, California : California Dept of Food & Agriculture indicated that it prefers the Platyopuntia group of flat-pad cacti in the genus Opuntia.

STRUCTURE

The ultrastructure of wax-secreting glands described and SEM photographed by Hartley, A.H., Walter, G.H. & Morrison, J. F. 1983. The ultrastructure of wax-secreting glands of the cochineal insect Dactylopius opuntiae (Dactylopiidae: Coccoidea: Homoptera). Proceedings of the Electron Microscopy Society of South Africa 13: 97–98. Colour photograph given by Gill, R.J. 1993. The Scale Insects of California: Part 2. The Minor Families (Homoptera : Coccoidea). Sacramento, California : California Dept of Food & Agriculture.

GENERAL

Good description and illustration of the adult female given by De Lotto, G. 1974. On the status and identity of the cochineal insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Dactylopiidae). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 37: 167–193, Gill, R.J. 1993. The Scale Insects of California: Part 2. The Minor Families (Homoptera : Coccoidea). Sacramento, California : California Dept of Food & Agriculture. Portillo Martinez, L. 1995. [Hosts of the carmine cochineal (Dactylopius spp.) and considerations for its improvement.] Los hospederos de las cochinillas del carmin (Dactylopius spp.) y algunos consideraciones sobre su aprovechamiento. pp. 308 pp. in Anon. (ed). Conocimiento y aprovechamiento del nopal : 6to. congreso nacional y 4to. congreso internacional, 6-10 de noviembre de 1995 : memorias / compilaciön. Las Agujas, Nextipac, Zapopan, Mexico : Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biolögicas y Agropecuarias, et al. distinguished between the fine cochineal species Dactylopius coccus and a group of wild cochineal species comprising D. austrinus, D. ceylonicus, D. confertus, D. confusus, D. opuntiae, D. salmianus, D. tomentosus and D. zimmermani.

ECONOMIC AND CONTROL

Pettey, F.W. 1947. The biological control of prickly pears in South Africa. Entomology Series, Department of Agriculture, Union of South Africa 22: 1–163, Pettey, F.W. 1950. The cochineal (Dactylopius opuntiae), and the problem of its control in spineless cactus plantations. Part I. Its history, distribution, biology and what it has accomplished in the control of prickly pear in South Africa. Entomology Series, Department of Agriculture, Union of South Africa 26: 1–12 and Pettey, F.W. & Marais, S.J.S. 1950. The cochineal (Dactylopius opuntiae), and the problem of its control in spineless cactus plantations. Part II. The control of cochineal in spineless cactus plantations. Entomology Series, Department of Agriculture, Union of South Africa 26: 13–34 presented detailed accounts on the role of this species in the biological control of prickly pears, especially Opuntia megacantha, in South Africa. Goeden, R.D. 1978. Part II: Biological control of weeds. In, [Unknown] (ed). Introduced Parasites and Predators of Arthropod Pests and Weeds: A World Review. Washington, D.C. : Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture 545 pp. discussed the use of this species in biological control of Opuntia spp.

General References

Cockerell, T.D.A. 1896. Notes and descriptions of the new Coccidae collected in Mexico by Prof. C.H.T. Townsend. Bulletin of the United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Entomology, Technical Series 4: 31-39 [35] (Coccus tomentosus: misidentification discovered by : 184)

Common Name References

Gill, R.J. 1993. The Scale Insects of California: The Minor Families (Homoptera : Coccoidea). Sacramento, California : California Dept of Food & Agriculture Part 2. (Opuntia Cochineal Scale)

Naumann, I.D., Ingram, R.J. & Floyd, R. 2002. Australian Insect Common Names, based on CSIRO Handbook of Australian Insect Names. 6th edn 1993. http://www.ento.csiro.au/aicn/. ((Prickly Pear Cochineal))

History of changes