Kelly, S.E., Moore, W., Hall, W.E., & Hunter, M.S. 2022 Hiding in plain sight: Cryptic enemies are found on cochineal (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), a scale insect of economic and cultural significance. Ecology and Evolution doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9151

Keywords:

natural enemies

Notes: In the northern Sonoran Desert (Tucson, AZ, USA), we studied the enemy complex of D. opuntiae and D. confusus on Opuntia and characterized two cryptic enemies, a coccinellid beetle predator and a parasitoid wasp. Both Hyperaspis sp. and F. thoreauini may have restricted distributions. Hyperaspis sp. does not appear to be a member of the cochineal community in Mexico or Texas, and scant records suggest F. thoreauini may also be restricted to the Southwestern USA.