Q.Is this cochineal?
I was wondering if this little spot on my pink aloe was from the cochineal that sometimes grow on prickly pears? Or is this just a spot from not loving it enough, I’ll admit we moved recently from KS to AZ and I accidentally forgot about him for a while.
Although cochineal scale insects are possible on aloe, as you have noted, they are much more common on certain species of prickly pear. The spot in the photo looks more like a fungal infection (anthracnose) or result of mechanical damage/wounding. Although I am unable to zoom in on the photo to see more detail.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/31978766873
https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1399.pdf