Pest Photo

Ignacio Baez, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Cactus moth

Cactoblastis cactorum

Cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) is an insect pest of Cactus. It is a native of South America and was first detected in Hawaii in 1950.

The South American cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) is a grayish-brown moth that is indigenous to Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is a serious quarantine pest of Cactaceae, especially Opuntia species. The larvae bore into the cactus pad to feed, eventually hollowing it out and killing the plant. Within a short period of time, the South American cactus moth can destroy whole stands of cactus. .

For more information about this plant pest, see the CABI data sheet.
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