100 THE COCCIDAE 



lobes and anal setae, octacerores, pilacerores, or ceratubae. The caudal 

 end of the rectum is not strongly chitinized forming a rectal tube provided 

 with one or more rings of anacerores excreting a long glassy tube of wax. 

 The caudal abdominal segment is not short, narrow, and projecting. 



The male has six ocellanae. The abdomen is not provided with long 

 lateral filaments or tufts of long glassy filaments, but bears two long, 

 slender, caudal filaments or threads of wax. The stylus is small and in- 

 conspicuous. 



The most useful products for the production of permanent 

 shades of red, carmine, or scarlet are derived from the cochineal 

 insects, Coccus cacti. The dried bodies of these insects were used 

 by the native Mexicans when the Spaniards under Cortes arrived 

 in Mexico in 1518. There was much conjecture and discussion as 

 to the true nature of cochineal. It was considered by Acosta as 

 early as 1530 and later by others as an insect, but was generally 

 believed to be the seed of a plant and was not definitely proven 

 to be an insect until in 1694 by Hartsoeker and by Loeuwenhoek 

 in 1704, who examined specimens carefully with a microscope. 



This coccid feeds upon various species of Cactaceae, more 

 often those of the genus Opuntia, but is said particularly to feed 

 upon the nopal plant, Opuntia coccinellifera, although this is 

 denied by W. J. Hooker. The insects and the plants upon which 

 they feed have been introduced and cultivated in many parts of 

 the world. They were introduced by the French and Spaniards 

 into Spain, Italy, and northern Africa, and various of the tropical 

 islands of the Atlantic where the Cactaceae thrive. It war; also 

 introduced at an early date into India. Cochineal is stated to be 

 produced commercially at the present time in Mexico, Peru. 

 Algiers, and southern Spain. The discovery and introduction of 

 the much cheaper but inferior and less permanent coal tar colors 

 has supplanted in great part the use of cochineal. According tc 

 Humboldt and Westwood 800,000 pounds of cochineal were annually 

 imported into Europe before the use of the cheaper dyes, of which 

 150,000 pounds, worth $1,800,000, was used in England alone. 



In collecting the insects they are carefully brushed from the 

 surface of the plant into bags or sheets. They are killed by 

 immersion in hot water or by exposure to the sun or the heat from 

 steam or an oven. The difference in the appearance of the 

 commercial product is due to the way in which it is treated. The 

 grains or dried bodies are longitudinally folded or wrinkled or 

 fluted. The best crop is secured early in the season by collecting 

 the unimpregnated females. The specimens collected later in the 



