Hoffmann, J.H., Moran, V.C., Zimmermann, H.G., & Impson, F.A.C. 2020 Biocontrol of a prickly pear cactus in South Africa: Reinterpreting the analogous, renowned case in Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 2020;00:1–10.
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Notes: We report on a long-term evaluation of biological control of an invasive cactus, Opuntia stricta, in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Almost all accounts acclaim Cactoblastis cactorum as the dominant contributor to the sustained decline of populations of prickly pears in Australia in the 1930s. Our results provide evidence that this now widely accepted conclusion is incorrect and that cochineal was and is the key role player.
