Cylindropuntia imbricata (Imbricate cactus, Imbricate prickly pear, Tree cholla, Chain-link cactus)

[= Opuntia imbricata]

Imbrikaatkaktus, Kabelturksvy [Afrikaans]

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Core Eudicots > Order: Caryophyllales > Familty: Cactaceae > Genus: Cylindropuntia

Native to southwestern USA and northern Mexico. Naturalised in southern Africa where it is a declared Category 1 invasive plant in South Africa. It has been brought under substantial biological control by Dactylopius tomentosus, a cochineal bug.

Ecological interactions in southern Africa

Herbivores

• Dactylopius tomentosus (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae). A cladode sucking cochineal bug. The 'imbricata' biotype was released in South Africa in 1970 against this weed and has caused considerable damage (Klein 2011).

Metamasius spinolae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was released in 1974, but did not become established (Klein 2011).

Text by Hamish Robertson