a Mexican homopterous insect, Dactylopius coccus, that feeds on cacti
another word for cochineal (sense 1)
cochineal insect in American English
any of a family (Dactylopiidae) of scale insects, esp. one (Dactylopius coccus) that has a brilliant-red body fluid, feeds on certain cactuses, is found chiefly in Mexico, and was formerly much used as a source of cochineal