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Bugs That Make Purple Ink

Humans have used ink for millennia, with early uses seen in prehistoric cave drawings. Ink has been created from a multitude of materials, including animals, plants and minerals. Different substances are capable of creating inks and dyes in different colors. Several insects are capable of making ink, and the cochineal bug in particular is used to create ink and dye in reds, purples and pinks.

Cochineal Description
- Cochineal bugs are extremely small, about one-sixteenth of an inch in length. They have reddish-pink bodies but are usually unseen as they hide beneath a fuzzy white substance. This substance, found on the prickly pear cactus, is actually a discharge from the female cochineal bug. The bugs anchor themselves onto the cactus and feed, producing the waxy white substance. The females never leave the same spot for the duration of their lives, which can be up to three years. Males, on the other hand, live about a week, only long enough to reproduce. The female is full of carminic acid, the source of color for the dye.
Cochineal History
- The Aztecs were the first to harvest and use the cochineal bug for its dye, which has been a traditional textile color and ink since the 1500s. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, they were amazed to see the bright colors worn by the Aztec women. The Spanish brought the dye with them back to Europe, where it became extremely valuable. The Spanish kept its source a secret for nearly 200 years.
Cochineal Dye
- Making cochineal dye is extremely labor intensive. A pound of dye requires about 70,000 cochineal bugs. The cactus leaves of the prickly pear are carefully tended to keep away cochineal predators. The bugs were traditionally harvested by hand and crushed to produce the dye. A variety of reds and purples can be made from the dye alone, and adding vinegar produces a deep purple hue. Aside from ink, it has been used in cosmetics, beverages, drugs and foods.
Other natural inks
- Other hues of ink can and have been produced from insects. Shellac, a type of resin, is created by the lac bug. The lac bug feeds on tree sap and produces the resin, harvested for a number of uses, one being a dark orange dye. Iron gall ink was commonly used in the early United States. The ink comes from round swellings on certain species of oak made in response to insect invasions. The Romans are responsible for the first purple ink, which was made from crushed mollusks.

Insects & Science