“…The feeding of D. opuntiae causes chlorosis, necrosis and malformations; in addition, it facilitates the entry of infectious agents (rots), and even the death of plants with severe infestations (Badii & Flores, 2001;Rodrigo, Catalá-Oltra & Granero, 2010;González, García, Olguín, Rivera & Martínez, 2016;Vanegas-Rico et al, 2010); this causes direct losses due to the reduction of productivity and the cost of inputs used for its control. Wild cochineal infestations on cactus pear plots in the northwest of Brazil on more than 100,000 ha, economic losses greater than 25 million dollars had been reported (Lopes et al, 2009), and they were attributed to destructive capacity, speed of dispersion and high biotic potential of D. opuntiae, in addition to the absence of integral management programs.…”