Editing Scale insect (section)

===As biological controls===

At the same time, some kinds of scale insects are themselves useful as biological control agents for pest plants, such as various species of [[Dactylopius|cochineal insects]] that attack [[invasive species]] of [[Opuntia|prickly pear]], which spread widely especially in [[Prickly pears in Australia|Australia]] and Africa.<ref name=Ramirez>{{cite journal|last=Ramírez-Puebla |first=S. T. |year=2010 |url=http://www.bashanfoundation.org/martinez/martinezdactylopius.pdf |title=Molecular phylogeny of the genus ''Dactylopius'' (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) and identification of the symbiotic bacteria |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182527/http://www.bashanfoundation.org/martinez/martinezdactylopius.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-23 |journal=Environmental Entomology |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=1178–83 |doi=10.1603/EN10037 |pmid=22127169 |s2cid=5816903 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="cabi">{{cite web |title=''Opuntia ficus-indica'' (prickly pear) |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/37714 |publisher=CABI |date=3 January 2018}}</ref>