close up of a leaf of an Opuntia cactus infected with Opuntia cochineal scale (Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell)). Females and nymphs secrete and cover
close up of a leaf of an Opuntia cactus infected with Opuntia cochineal scale (Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell)). Females and nymphs secrete and cover themselves with white waxy filamentous secretions. The body is broadly oval or rotund; dark purple, bright red (“carmine”) when crushed. The red crawlers are armed with long filaments on the posterior part of their abdomen. The feeding of the scale induces yellow areas on the cladode within a few weeks, subsequently causing its drop. The pest is capable of killing small cacti within months, or a large cactus within two years. It is a major pest of cactus plantations in South America, and has recently invaded Israel. On the other hand, D. opuntiae was used for the biocontrol of invading cacti in Australia. Photographed in Israel in October
Size: 5133px × 3409px
Location: Ein Afek, Israel
Photo credit: © Ilan Rosen / PhotoStock-Israel / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: america, botanic, botanical, botany, cactaceae, cacti, cactus, cladode, cochineal, cockerell, compressus, dactylopius, drought, ficus-indica, fig, filamentous, idr, indian, infected, infection, introduced, invaded, invasive, israel, israeli, leaf, leaves, mexican, mexico, mission, natural, nature, opuntia, opuntiae, pear, pest, pests, plant, prickly, resistance, sabra, sabres, scale, scales, secretions, south, succulent, thorn, thorns, tzabar, vulgaris, waxy, white, wild, zoological, zoology
