#dactylopius coccus

[power-handmaiden]

Day 256: Cochineal

These little guys and their long history of use in dyes/pigments are very cool to me!! My apologies to strict vegetarians out there though, I know sometimes it makes your lives harder to navigate...

[humblegrub]

I just watched this video about the Mexican production of cochineal bugs (Dactylopius coccus), a scale insect from which the natural dye carmine is derived. The dye has been cultivated, traded, and used in North America since before European contact. This video focuses on the three producers who are left in Mexico.

They also mention a space dedicated to research and dissemination of scientific, cultural, and artistic knowledge of cochineal and other traditional natural dyes from the state of Oaxaca. It is called NOCHEZTLICALLI - Museo Ecológico de Grana cochinilla y Nopal. If I spoke any Spanish I would definitely travel to see it. Maybe I should start a bug-related travel destination list...?

You can also donate if you can't actually get out there - supporting Indigenous cultural practices in this every-changing world is critical.

[jenfoundabug]

I discovered these interesting scale insects on my prickly pear cactus (opuntia).

It turns out these are cochineal insects (Dactylopius coccus), the source of the natural dye carmine. You can see some of this pigment in the third picture (purple splotch) where the bugs may have been injured. Carmine, aka crimson lake, is frequently found in cosmetics (blush and lipstick) and food (ice cream, yogurt, soft drinks, sausage, and candy). Farming these bugs began as early as 700 BC in South America, and carmine has been used by many indigenous cultures to dye textiles and create artwork.

While mature females are about 25% carminic acid, it still takes tens of thousands of them to produce one pound of pigment.

If I get enough of these, I may try making some dye myself XD

[debazan]

La Cochinilla del Carmin

La Cochinilla del Carmin

 La locura de la cochinilla del carmín.

El término de la palabra carmín:

Proviene del latín medieval carminium, del árabe qirmiz, ‘carmesí’, y éste del sánscrito krimiga, ‘producido por insectos’, de krmi, ‘gusano, insecto’.

De vocablo latino supuestamente de origen ibérico. La palabra carmín comienza a usarse en el idioma castellano en 1571.

El Carmín lleva utilizándose desde tiempos…

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[projetarche]

Arche 1016 — Cochenilles (Dactylopius coccus).

Lundi 1er janvier 2018, Peter Jaila. _________________________________________ Peter Jaila est un jeune homme qui aime lire, dessiner, peindre et filmer des choses.

On retrouve des « systématismes » dans ses dessins, des lignes, des points, des spirales et d'autres formes géométriques répétées des dizaines de fois. Intéressé par le Projet Arche, il en devient vite un des artistes les plus réguliers. _________________________________________ « Projet Arche » : un animal dessiné en quelques minutes chaque jour pendant dix ans. http://projetarche.blogspot.fr

[fatchance]

Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) on Indian-fig prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), Tempe, Arizona. 

My neighbor’s ornamental Indian-fig prickly pear is suffering a mild infestation of cochineal scale insects. Each cottony cluster on the paddles conceals a colony of dozens of insects in various growth stages. Like aphids, the cochineals pierce the cactus’s skin to extract moisture and nutrients from the host plant. Fortunately, this is a sturdy, mature cactus, not likely to suffer any serious damage from the insects. 

The insects are farmed and harvested commercially as a source of carmine for dyeing fabrics, tinting cosmetics, and coloring foods. Even when gently removing a scale cluster I crushed a few insects, instantly dyeing my fingertips a deep carmine red.