Love the color red? Did you know there’s an insect that was — and still is — prized for the incredibly brilliant red hue it produces? Meet the cochineal. During the 18th century, cochineal was as valuable as silver. Not only was its pigment beautiful, but it was also fade-resistant. This insect may only live a few months, but its legacy lives on in textiles, paintings, and even in your food! Artists like El Greco used it in their paintings. The British Army used it for their red coats. Today, it can also show up in your strawberry yogurt and Halloween candy. I was thrilled to be able to travel to Oaxaca, Mexico to film this tiny, cactus-loving insect, whose history is deeply rooted in the area. We hope you enjoy finding out more about this curious little bug to “dye” for in this week’s newsletter.
Female cochineals only live a few months and spend most of their lives with their heads buried in juicy cactus pads, eating and growing. Instead of blood, most insects and arachnids have hemolymph, which is a clear liquid. But the cochineal has hemolymph that’s a rich crimson.
Photo: Josh Cassidy/KQED
So what’s responsible for the cochineal’s deep, dark red? Carminic acid, a bitter substance that deters nearly all predators and produces a vibrant natural red.
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🩸 Carminic acid is most concentrated in female cochineals, which live three to four months.
🌵 To harvest female cochineals, they are gently brushed off cacti and dried in the sun.
☀️ Cochineal nymphs start out bright red, but within hours of hatching they secrete a protective waxy substance to shield themselves from the hot sun.
🔴 It takes about 5,000 dried cochineals to dye a medium-sized tapestry.
🍨 The cochineal insect is labeled “carmine,” “cochineal extract,” “E120” or “natural red 4” when used in your food as natural coloring.
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Name That Critter
This bug loves to gorge on your blood and gets its name because it often bites near the lips, but it will dig in anywhere you’ve left uncovered on your body while you sleep. What kind of bug is it? Find the answer at the bottom of this newsletter.
Image: Josh Cassidy/KQED
EVENT
Spooky Science on Screen -- Deep Look at KQED Fest
Hoo! Hoo! Don’t miss Deep Look’s host Laura Klivans and Lead Producer and Cinematographer Josh Cassidy in conversation for a special spooky screening at KQED Fest on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 1:30pm. You’ll see some of Deep Look’s favorite Halloween-related videos about bats, crows, owls and spiders, and hear from experts. Plus, we’ll have special critter tables, including live bats! There will also be a Deep Look photobooth. Even more is happening at KQED Fest. Check out the full FREE event schedule running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at KQED in San Francisco, and join us!
Thanks to generous support from our Patreon patrons, this spring Deep Look went on a filming expedition to Oaxaca, Mexico! In this photo, Josh Cassidy gets ready to film cochineals as Ana Lilia Vigueras, a biologist at the University of Guadalajara, points out the best section of the cactus pad to focus on. Producer Rosa Tuirán, in the background, checks the filming monitor.
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We hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter. Thank you for your support! Until next week!
- The Deep Look Team and Science Teams
Deep Look is KQED’s award-winning wildlife video series that reveals the tiny dramas playing out in the natural world. We’re a member-supported YouTube series from KQED and PBS Digital Studios. Learn more.
KQED’s award-winning science coverage brings you the latest climate, environment and health news from the Bay Area and beyond. KQED Science is supported in part by the members of KQED. Learn more.
Kissing Bug! These bugs can be dangerous for two reasons: their saliva and poop. As they feed, they inject saliva that can give you a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. And their poop might contain the parasite that causes Chagas disease, which can be deadly. Without knowing it, millions of people have gotten the parasite in Latin America, where these insects can live inside rural homes. The good news is that a blood test can find the parasite, and medications can often kill it.
