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The cactus quickly became a widespread invasive weed in the dry interior climate west of the Great Dividing Range, in New South Wales and Queensland, [16] eventually converting 260,000 km 2 (101,000 sq mi) of farming land into an impenetrable green jungle of prickly pear, in places 6 m (20 ft) high. Scores of farmers were driven off their land ...
Many of these, especially the tiger pear, quickly became widespread invasive species, rendering 40,000 km 2 (15,000 sq mi) of farming land unproductive. [2] The moth Cactoblastis cactorum from Argentina , whose larvae eat prickly pear, was introduced in 1925 and almost wiped out the prickly pear.
Opuntia aurantiaca, commonly known as tiger-pear, jointed cactus or jointed prickly-pear, is a species of cactus from South America. [2] The species occurs naturally in Argentina , Paraguay and Uruguay and is considered an invasive species in Africa and Australia .
This species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. [1] However, a potential threat is one found in all members of the genus Opuntia – the cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum), [3] an invasive species that arrived to Florida in 1989 and has been a serious threat to the cacti in this genus all over North America. [3]
This plant, like other Opuntia species, is attacked by cactus moth. Other common names for this species, and ones which are now considered variants of this species, include plateau prickly-pear, New Mexico prickly-pear, and Kingman prickly-pear. The species is widespread, from California south to Mexico and the Southwest United States.
Cattle are normally fed a spineless variety of the cactus. [10] The cactus pads are low in dry matter and crude protein but useful as a supplement in drought conditions. In addition to the food value, the moisture content adequately eliminates watering the cattle during drought. [10] Numerous wildlife species use the prickly pear for food. [10]
Opuntia stricta is a species of large cactus that is endemic to the subtropical and tropical coastal areas of the Americas, especially around the Caribbean. [2] Common names include erect prickly pear and nopal estricto . [4] The first description as Cactus strictus was published in 1803 by Adrian Hardy Haworth.
Cactoblastis cactorum, the cactus moth, South American cactus moth or nopal moth, is native to Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil.It is one of five species in the genus Cactoblastis that inhabit South America, where many parasitoids, predators and pathogens control the expansion of the moths' population.