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From Military Uniforms to Cochineal Beetles: A Colorful History
Exploring the origins of red dye in British military uniforms, the chapter takes a surprising turn towards the use of cochineal beetles as a source of natural dye. Delving into the monopolization of cochineal red dye by Spain and Portugal and the failed British attempt to cultivate cochineal beetles in Australia, it also discusses the successful intervention of introducing a moth to control the invasive prickly pear cactus in Australia.
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