Cactus Moth | National Invasive Species Information Center

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Cactus Moth, Adult - Photo by Dale Habeck

Scientific Name:

Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Zimmermann et al. 2004)

Common Name:

Cactus moth, prickly pear moth

Native To:

South America (Simonson et al. 2005)

Date of U.S. Introduction:

1989 (Johnson and Stiling 1998)

Means of Introduction:

Imported to the Caribbean to control prickly pear cacti; arrived in the U.S. naturally or in cargo imported from the Caribbean (Johnson and Stiling 1998)

Impact:

Feeds on prickly pear cacti (species in the genus Opuntia) (Johnson and Stiling 1998)

Spotlights

Invasive Cactus Moth Likely to Spread and Destroy Native Prickly Pear (Oct 28, 2020)

University of Texas at Austin.

The cactus moth has a wingspan of only about an inch, but this invasive insect has the potential to cause largescale agricultural and ecological devastation in Texas, according to the first study of cactus moths in Texas. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin's Invasive Species Project based at Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin have found that four native species of prickly pear cactus — and the species that rely on them — face a serious health threat from the moth.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Pest Tracker - Survey Status of Cactus Moth

USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. National Agricultural Pest Information System.

Federally Regulated

Domestic Quarantine Notices (Title 7: Agriculture, Part 301) - South American Cactus Moth

U.S. Government Printing Office. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

Images

Google Images - Cactus Moth

Google.

Invasive.org - Cactus Moth

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Cactus Moth.

Partnership

Biology, History, Threat, Surveillance and Control of the Cactus Moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Jun 2004) (PDF | 1.24 MB)

UN. Food and Agriculture Organization; International Atomic Energy Agency. Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

Gallery of Pests - Cactus Moth

Nature Conservancy. Don't Move Firewood.

Global Invasive Species Database - Cactoblastis cactorum (insect)

IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.

Invasive Species Compendium - Cactoblastis cactorum

CAB International.

Texas Invasives Database - Cactoblastis cactorum

TexasInvasives.org.

The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Cactus Moth