Rearing of Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) in prickly pear cladodes to increase its predators

The wild cochineal, Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), is the most important pest of the Opuntia genus, and especially affects the most cultivated species around the world, that is, O. ficus-indica. Currently, there is an interest at national and international levels on biological control programs of this pest; therefore, rearing of this insect is essential to be used in studies on maintenance of its predators. This study evaluated five levels (treatments) of D. opuntiae infestation on cladodes of O. ficus-indica under environmental conditions of 27 ± 4 ºC, 55 % Relative Humidity, and a photoperiod of 12/12 Light/Dark. The treatments were applied using first instar nymphs: T1, 1000 nymphs, T2, 2000 nymphs, T3, 3000 nymphs, T4, 4000 nymphs, and T5, 10 adult reproductive females. After 45 days, the highest number of colonies (654) per cladode corresponded to T4. The higher fresh weight of D. opuntiae females belongs to T1, T2, and T3 with an average of 0.026 g per female; nonetheless, the treatment with the highest fresh weight per cladode was T4 (12.89 g); it means 77 cladodes can produce 1 kg of D. opuntiae in fresh.