The conference, titled "The dye that created a landscape and the plague that transforms it," will take place in the auditorium of the MUNA at 7:00 PM. Admission is free until full capacity is reached.
Prickly pear cacti and traditional cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) have been a historical, cultural, and economic pillar for the Canary Islands, both for their fruit and for obtaining carmine dye. However, this heritage is now threatened by the emergence of the Mexican wild cochineal (Dactylopius opuntiae), an invasive species that devastates crops by suffocating the plant and altering the island's ecosystem.
The talk will cover the current situation of both species, their impact on the Canarian landscape, and the potential solutions being considered to mitigate the effects of the plague.
The conference will focus on the current situation of both species, their impact on the Canarian landscape, and the potential solutions being considered.
The speaker will be Alberto González Rodríguez, a Doctor in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of La Laguna and specialized in Entomology from UNED. He is currently the responsible curator of the entomological collection at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Tenerife, part of the Autonomous Body of Museums and Centers of the Cabildo de Tenerife.
