Cochineal

The cochineal beetle (dactylopius confusus/dactylopius coccus) is a tiny insect which lives on cactus plants, especially the prickly pear cactus, in Central and South America. Female beetles eat the red cactus berries and concentrate the red colour in their bodies. They are scraped off the cactus into hot water; their bodies are dried in the sun, and then crushed into powder. Approximately 150,000 are needed to make 1 kg of dye.