The introduction ofMimorista pulchellalis [Lepidoptera: Pyraustidae] into South Africa for the biological control of jointed cactus,Opuntia aurantiaca 1. Biology and mass-rearing techniques

A laboratory investigation was conducted on a pyraustid moth imported from South America for jointed cactus control. It was found that the moths were crepuscular, with females laying an average of 48±3.5 eggs over a period of 4–8 days. Larvae hatched out at night and usually tunnelled into the terminal ends of cactus cladodes at a site where young cactus growth occurred. The lifecycle was completed inside the cactus, pupation typically occurring in the dry husk of the cladode on which the egg was laid. Mass-rearing of the moth was easy if plants with young cactus growth were used.