Prickly pears in Australia - wikipedia Prickly pears in Australia A monument to the Cactoblastis cactorum moth at Dalby, Queensland. Prickly pear forest c 1930 Prickly pears ( Genus Opuntia ) are an invasive plant species in Australia. Prickly pears ( mostly Opuntia stricta ) were imported into Australia in the 19th century for use as a natural agricultural fence and in an attempt to establish a cochineal dye industry. Many of these, especially the Tiger Pear, quickly became widespread invasive species, rendering 40,000 km ( 15,000 sq mi ) of farming land unproductive. The moth Cactoblastis cactorum from South America, whose larvae eat prickly pear, was introduced in 1925 and almost wiped out the population. This case is often cited as an example of successful biological pest control. In the early days it was used as a clothing dye. There is a monument to the Cactoblastis cactorum in Dalby, Queensland commemorating the eradication of the prickly pear in the region. The Cactoblastis Memorial Hall in Boonarga, Queensland, also commemorating the eradication. Contents 1 Species 2 See also 3 References 4 External links Species The following Opuntia species are recorded as naturalised in Australia : Opuntia aurantiaca Opuntia dejecta Opuntia dillenii Opuntia elata Opuntia elatior Opuntia engelmannii Opuntia ficus - indica Opuntia humifusa Opuntia leucotricha Opuntia microdasys Opuntia monacantha Opuntia polyacantha Opuntia puberula Opuntia robusta Opuntia schickendantzii Opuntia sp. Schrank Opuntia streptacantha Opuntia stricta Opuntia sulphurea Opuntia tomentosa See also Invasive species in Australia Conservation in Australia Agriculture in Australia References Jump up ^ `` The Prickly Pear Story '' ( PDF ). Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Queensland Government. July 2016. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017. Jump up ^ J.H. Hoffmanna, V.C. Morana and D.A. Zellerb ( May 1998 ). `` Evaluation ofCactoblastis cactorum ( Lepidoptera : Phycitidae ) as a Biological Control Agent of Opuntia stricta ( Cactaceae ) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa ''. Biological Control. 12 ( 1 ) : 20 -- 24. doi : 10.1006 / bcon. 1998.0608. Jump up ^ `` Cactoblastis Memorial Hall ( entry 601273 ) ''. Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Opuntia ''. Australian Plant Name Index ( APNI ), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 18 July 2012. External links Prickly Pear photograph album 1926 - 1933 digitised and held by State Library of Queensland Prickly pears in Australia at the Australian Weeds Committee History of prickly pear in Australia - from a New South Wales ' perspective Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prickly_pears_in_Australia&oldid=783406037 '' Categories : Invasive plant species in Australia Opuntia Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 2 June 2017, at 02 : 27. About Wikipedia

Question: when did the prickly pear come to australia
Answer: the 19th century