Cactus Moth

Also known as South American Cactus Moth, Nopal Moth

Female cactus moths deposit unique egg sticks resembling cactus spines directly onto prickly pear pads. Upon hatching, bright orange-and-black caterpillars burrow inside the plant stems, feeding gregariously and hollowing out the tissues until the cactus collapses into a decayed mass. Famous as a biological control agent that cleared millions of acres of invasive prickly pear in Australia, this moth now poses a severe threat to native cactus diversity and agricultural nopal crops in North America.