Dactylopius opuntiae
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Dactylopius opuntiae, also known as the prickly pear cochineal, is a species of scale insect in the family Dactylopiidae. Dactylopius opuntiae was first identified by Cockerell as Coccus cacti opuntiae after he collected it from cactus plants in Mexico in 1896. Later, it was considered a synonym of Dactylopius tomentosus, and workers often referred to the same species by different names or used the same name for different species. De Lotto notes that it became common practice to call Dactylopius opuntiae a distinct wild cochineal insect from Dactylopius tomentosus, even though their identity and status were never fully resolved. Eventually, in 1929, the species was classified as Dactylopius opuntiae by Cockerell.
All species of the family Dactylopiidae have females with an oval-shaped body that is purple-red in color and covered in a white, cotton-like wax. This wax protects the body of the cochineal from heat, cold, and predators. Adult females are sessile and form colonies of up to a few thousand individuals of mixed age, creating conspicuous clusters of white wax all over the plant. Adult females of Dactylopius opuntiae produce red glucosidal hydroxyanthrapurin... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cactus Scattered Cochineal sighting in Barcelona on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 263rd most-seen of the 381 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and September–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cactus Scattered Cochineal in Barcelona on a given day, against under 5% in August and December–June, the lowest months.
Yes
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Cactus Scattered Cochineal sightings, Barcelona has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come San Antonio (United States, under 5%) and Mexico City (México, under 5%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Cactus Scattered Cochineal that you can see in Barcelona (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are European Firebug (about 20%), Leafhopper Assassin Bug (about 20%) and European Striped Shield Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cactus Scattered Cochineal is recorded against all the insects logged in Barcelona (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
