The Opuntia (Cactaceae) and Dactylopius (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) in Mexico: A Historical Perspective of Use, Interaction and Distribution With Particular Emphasis on Chemical and Phylogenetic Aspects of the Dactylopius Species

Sociopolitical organization, landscape change, and hydraulic engineering in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico: 1250 B.C.–A.D. 1810

“…During the Early Colonial period, prickly pear cactus ( Opuntia ficus‐indica ) was cultivated throughout the Basin of Mexico for the production of valuable cochineal ( Dactylopius coccus ) dye, which is made from a parasitic insect that lives on the cactus (Chávez‐Moreno et al, ; Skopyk, ). Cochineal was New Spain's second largest export, after silver.…”

“…Morphometric and genetic studies of this xerophytic crop suggest that it was domesticated in garden settings, with humans selecting large individuals with desirable traits then transporting them to house gardens (Figueredo‐Urbina, Casas, & Torres‐García, ). Ethnographic and genetic observations of xerophytic use (maguey and nopal) in Mexico show that people also select for variability in plant phenology to ensure year‐round availability of the desired goods (Chávez‐Moreno, Tecante, & Casas, ; Figueredo‐Urbina et al, ; Pimienta‐Barrios, ; Reyes‐Agüero, Rivera, & Flores, ). Selection for multiple uses (cloth, tool, and hydration) during multiple times of year seems unique to Mesoamerican xerophytic domestication, and has led to a surprising degree of genetic diversity even in the most highly domesticated species and cultivars such as Allium hookeri , a variant absent from the wild (Figueredo‐Urbina et al, ).…”