The South American cactus moth has been introduced into the United States and now ranges along the coast from South Carolina to Louisiana. It remains a threat to prick the pair of cactus and the desert ecosystem the Southwestern United States and Mexico. In a previous video we demonstrated the dissection and slide mounting of the male genitalia for making identifications of the cactus moth. Here we demonstrate the dissection of the female which has some modifications to the method from that use for the male. In our previous video of the male we discussed the tools, supplies and reagents needed for making dissections and slide mounts. We also demonstrated the method for removing the abdomen for placing two a vial of potassium hydroxide for softening overnight. After the female abdomen is removed from potassium hydroxide it is transferred 20% ethanol for initial cleaning. We tamp and brush the abdomen from the posterior end to the open end to your end to remove the inner contents. We brush the abdomen to further remove many of the scales. After most of the scales are removed the abdomen and genitalia are transferred to eosinstein where they remain for 3-4 hours. After staining the abdomen is transferred to 70% ethanol where it is further cleaned the abdomen is brushed from side to side to minimize tearing of the inner segmental membranes. After the abdomen is cleaned two pairs of forcipes are used to separate the ventral sternites from the dorsal turguides. Staining at the open end of the abdomen the ventral and dorsal sides are gently torn apart all the way to the last abdominal segment just before the ovaposter. At that point between the 7th and 8th segments the inner segmental membrane is torn across the sternum and then later torn across the dorsal. The inner segmental membrane is torn the genitalia can be removed. The digestive tract another extraneous material can now be easily removed taking care not to damage the globular corpus bursa and the connecting ductus bursa. The abdomen and genitalia can be dipped into chlorosol black for a few seconds to stain the membranes. Then the genitalia is washed in 70% ethanol to remove the excess stain. The abdomen and genitalia are given a final cleaning before being placed under glass chips in 100% ethanol for positioning the parts and hardening. The slide is made with the same method used for the male desections and labeled accordingly. Here we can see the structures of the female genitalia including the papilianalis or ovaposter pads, the apophysies for muscle connections, the osteoom or opening for insemination which leads into the ductus bursa and the corpus bursa where the spermatifor is stored after mating. Whether or not the female has made it can be determined by presence of the remains of the spermatifor in the corpus bursa. The form of the speratized signal can be used to differentiate some species. Here we can see the female genitalia of cactoblastis on the left and the native melatera prudinialis on the right. Species of melatera either lack a signal or have a very small reduced signal compared to the one in cactoblastis.