胭脂虫

胭脂虫
	左：雌虫；右：雄虫
科学分类
界：	动物界 Animalia
门：	节肢动物门 Arthropoda
纲：	昆虫纲 Insecta
目：	半翅目 Hemiptera
科：	胭蚧科 Dactylopiidae
属：	胭蚧属 Dactylopius
种：	胭脂虫 D. coccus
二名法
	Dactylopius coccus; Costa, 1835
异名
	Coccus cacti Linnaeus, 1758; Pseudococcus cacti Burmeister, 1839;

胭脂虫（学名：Dactylopius coccus）又名洋红虫、墨西哥胭脂虫或美洲胭脂虫，是胭蚧科胭蚧属的一种介壳虫，原产于美洲。以仙人掌属植物的汁液为食。其身长可达5公釐。

胭脂虫雌虫体内含胭脂红酸，可以用来制造绯红色染料（胭脂红）。胭脂虫是哥伦布交换（Columbian Exchange）之一。在地理大发现时代，在哥伦布发现美洲之初，胭脂虫被引入了欧洲。当运送胭脂虫的西班牙商船被英国或德国的海盗劫掠时，对胭脂虫的价值和用处一无所知的海盗们往往会把货物扔进大海。

目前，胭脂虫被使用于布料染色、食用色素和化妆品。但作为食用色素时（例如常见于草莓果酱），多会加注警语，以防素食者误食及避免过量服用胭脂虫食用色素。

延伸阅读

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