Bow dye
| Cochineal | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Female (left) and male (right) cochineals | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Family: | Dactylopiidae |
| Genus: | Dactylopius |
| Species: | D. coccus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1835 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Coccus cacti Linnaeus, 1758 |
|
Coccus cacti Linnaeus, 1758
Pseudococcus cacti Burmeister, 1839
The cochineal (/ˌkɒtʃɪˈniːl/ KOTCH-ih-NEEL, /ˈkɒtʃɪniːl/ KOTCH-ih-neel; Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America as well as Mexico and the Southwest United States, this insect lives on cacti in the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients. These insects are found on the pads of prickly pear cacti, then are brushed off and dried.
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