The Cochinilla (or Cochineal) is an insect that lives on the cactus known as the tunera. They absorb the jiuce of the plant and this is their only food. The origin of the name Cochinilla is said to be found in the Latin ‘coccinus’, whose meaning is ‘red’. The cochineal contains the characteristic red liquid that has made the insect so famous and from which the dyeing industry has benefited so much. This dye is now referred to as E120.
A characteristic of this female insect is that, once installed on the cactus, it secretes a kind of white powder which covers the plant .
The cochineal cycle is 3 months. The insects are harvested at about 90 days old. The beetles have to be hand picked or knocked off the cactus so protective clothing is required and they are then dried to produce the dye. It takes around 140,000 beetles to make one tonne of dye.
In the village of Guatiza, in the north of Lanzarote, the cactus are grown to harvest the cochineal beetles and then collect the red dye. This is a large industry on the island, after tourism.
What is Cochinilla?
