Beneficial beetle found in Serdarlı to combat cactus cochineal
The TRNC Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has announced a significant breakthrough in the fight against the cactus pest Dactylopius opuntiae (cochineal).
As part of a joint project with the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, scientific institutes in Adana and Ankara, and supported by the Development and Economic Cooperation Office of the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia, predatory insects feeding on this pest were identified in the Serdarlı area in December 2025.
Research confirmed that the insect is the Hyperaspis trifurcata beetle, native to South America. It is already utilized as an effective biological control agent in other Mediterranean countries.
Mass rearing of the beneficial insect has now begun at the Agricultural Research Institute station in Türkmenköy. A pilot release in selected areas is planned for April to control the spread of the pest.
Agriculture Minister Hüseyin Çavuş noted that the project is a vital step toward restoring the babutsa (prickly pear), which is an integral part of the island's cultural heritage.
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