MEALYBUG: CHARACTERISTICS, NUTRITION, RESPIRATION, REPRODUCTION - BIOLOGY - 2025

The cochineal (Dactylopius coccus Costa), also called the prickly pear cochineal, carmine mealybug, or grana, is a parasitic hemiptere insect belonging to the Dactylopiidae family.

The genus Dactylopius was described by Costa in 1829 (other authors suggest that it was in 1835). Costa defined D. coccus as the type species of the genus. However, there is some controversy as to the first researcher to describe this species.

Some taxonomists suggest that the species was first described by the famous Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné (Linnaeus) in 1758. The latter named it Coccus cacti. Currently the name coined by Linnaeus is considered synonymy of D. coccus.

The term cochineal has no taxonomic validity. The mealybug of the genus Dactylopius of the insect group should not be confused with the moisture mealybugs of the order Isopoda, which are a group of terrestrial or semi-terrestrial crustaceans.

General characteristics

The hemiptera known as Dactylopius coccus is a parasitic insect of cactaceous plants (cactus), plants are known as prickly pears or nopales (Opuntia genus).

The larvae of D. coccus have, to the naked eye, a waxy gray color, a coloration that is due to a secretion they produce to prevent dehydration.

Adults are recognized as having a soft, moderately flat and oval body. Females are immobile organisms, with a beak-shaped sucking-type mouthpart. They present incomplete metamorphosis and do not have wings.

The males are smaller than the females. They do not have an oral apparatus, have complete metamorphosis and have wings. The wings are used to move in search of females to fertilize.

The males of this species have a very short life; after molting to adulthood they live for just three days. The females are longer-lived. Additionally, the adult females are the ones that produce the carmine.

Nutrition

The main food of this parasitic insect is the cactus species of the genus Opuntia. Males only feed on the cactus sap during their larval stage. In their adult phase they do not have an oral apparatus and only live to fertilize the females.

Females also feed on cactus sap during its larval stage and even during its adult life. The feeding mechanism consists of penetrating the cactus tissue (cactus, nopal, prickly pear) and then sucking the fluids from it.

The effects of D. coccus on its host are severe. They can damage your tissues, limit your growth, and can even kill you.

Nopal or Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) cactus on which the mealybug Dactylopius coccus feeds. Taken and edited from JMK, from Wikimedia Commons

Breathing

Like other insects, adult hemiptera, and therefore the mealybug D. coccus, breathe through a tracheal system, like a system of pipes that supplies air into the body.

The tracheal system opens to the outside of the body through a series of holes arranged on the sides of the insect, called spiracles.

However, the respiration of larvae and adult females is not tracheal. In these, respiration occurs passively, that is, through the diffusion of air through the integument.

The males, upon reaching adulthood, must take flight to fertilize the females. Due to this, they use a more active and muscular breathing, using the opening and closing of the spiracles to allow the passage of air.

Reproduction and life cycle

The life cycle of the mealybug D. coccus begins when a small nymph (larval stage) hatches from the egg. With very active movements, this larva settles in shady areas protected from the wind, on the cactus Opuntia sp.

Once settled on its host, it will remain for several molts. Later, some larvae will become males and others will become females. The male will go through a developmental process with complete metamorphosis, while the female will have an incomplete metamorphosis.

The complete metamorphosis of the male will give him a set of wings that allow him to fly. The females, when presenting an incomplete metamorphosis, do not develop wings, so they remain practically fixed to the cactus feeding.

During the mating courtship, the male stands over the female where he proceeds to brush her with his forelegs. Then it is placed on its side and proceeds to fertilize the eggs through the pair of genital openings that the female has on each side of the body. This courtship is relatively difficult to observe because it occurs at night.

After fertilization, the female increases in proportions. The incubation period lasts about 20 days. Each female can lay an approximate of 400 eggs, of which approximately 130 (sometimes between 5 and 80) individuals can hatch.

The approximate life cycle time of this species is about 80 days or more for females. Males die after fertilization.

Importance

Carminic acid is obtained from female cochineal (Dactylopius coccus), an acid used together with other chemicals to achieve the crimson red color. To obtain one kilogram of this acid, 80 thousand or 100 thousand females of D. coccus are required.

The economic importance of this colorant is very great. Due to this, countries such as Mexico, Spain, Peru, Bolivia, among others, have developed crops of this insect. They must also cultivate the plant that serves as a host.

Traditionally the use of this dye was in the textile industry. Today it is not only used in this industry, but also in cosmetology in the production of lip paints, hair dyes or blushes.

The pharmaceutical industry uses it to color drugs such as tablets or pills. In the food industry it is used as a coloring for juices, alcoholic beverages, cookies, sausages, among other foods. In biological tests it is used for tissue staining.

Allergic reactions

The use of this dye is quite widespread in different products of the daily life of human beings. However, it has been shown to cause allergic reactions in susceptible people. In these cases it is recommended to stop using products that contain the colorant.

References

1. Cochineal scales- Dactylopius Pests in Gardens and Landscapes. University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Recovered from ipm.ucanr.edu.
2. M. Zumbado Arrieta & D. Azofeifa Jiménez (2018). Insects of agricultural importance. Basic Guide to Entomology. Heredia, Costa Rica. National Program for Organic Agriculture (PNAO). 204 pp.
3. Z. Zhang (2017). The Life Tables of Dactylopius coccus Costa (Homoptera: Dactylopiidae) at Different Temperatures and Humidities. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
4. H. Esalat Nejad & A Esalat Nejad (2013). Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) as one of the most important insects in industrial dyeing. International journal of Advanced Biological and Biomedical Research.
5. SJ Méndez-Gallegos, LA Tarango-Arámbula, A. Carnero, R. Tiberi, O. Díaz-Gómez (2010) Population growth of the cochineal Dactylopius coccus Costa reared in five cultivars of nopal Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. Agrociencia.
6. CK Chávez-MorenoI, A. TecanteI, A. Casas, LE Claps. (2011). Distribution and Habitat in Mexico of Dactylopius Costa (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) and their Cacti Hosts (Cactaceae: Opuntioideae). Neotropical Entomology.
7. Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1829. Recovered from asturnatura.com.
8. Cochineal. Wikipedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.