Mate searching in the scale insect, Dactylopius coccus (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Dactylopiidae)

Abstract

Dactylopius coccus is a sessile scale insect living on cladodes of Opuntia ficus indica which has commercial importance of as a source of carminic acid. We herein present behavioural evidence of the existence of a sex pheromone in D. coccus, based on olfactometric experiments using both biological sources of odours and collected chemical extracts.