How does lac insect look like?
Adult females are wingless and have reduced legs and antennae, whereas the males have one pair of delicate wings, well-developed legs and antennae, and no mouthparts. Each species of scale insect is restricted in its range of host plants.
What are lac bugs used for?
This varnish, or shellac, is the resinous exudate produced by the female Indian “lac” bug, an insect that spends its whole life attached to a tree, sucking its sap and converting it into the familiar sticky substance that has long been used to provide a glossy protective coating on wood.
Where do lac bugs come from?
Lac is produced in Assam and other parts of North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, parts of China, and also in Mexico. Lac was originally cultivated as the source of a purple-red dye derived by soaking the lac bug secretions in water.
Are lac insects useful?
This resin has been used for making traditional and tribal bangles, and still used as sealing wax by the India Post. It is also used as wood finish, skin cosmetic and dye for wool and silk in ancient India and neighbouring areas.
What is the lifespan of lac insect?
The life span of adult male is 2_3 days and the life span of female insect varies between 62_148 days for different crops. The variation of life span of male, female as well as young occurs due to temperature, host plants and strains of lac insect.
Why do lac bugs make shellac?
Shellac, or E904, is a glazing agent made from the secretion of female lac bugs. After fertilization, the female lac bug finds a spot on a tree and creates a layer of shellac that covers herself entirely. In this cocoon-like place, the lac bug lays her eggs, which will be protected thanks to the shellac.
What foods are made out of bugs?
Foods you eat every day like chocolate, coffee, and beer all contain thousands of insect bits
- A new study from an insect control company estimated that we eat, on average, 140,000 ‘bug bits’ every year.
- Mealworm, maggot, and roach pieces are found in everyday foods like chocolate, coffee, and wheat flour.
What is a female lac bug?
Shellac is a resinous product obtained from the secretion of the female “lac bug” (Kerria lacca) on trees, mostly in the forests of India and Thailand. The dry flake processed shellac is dissolved in ethanol to obtain liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze, and wood finish.
Where does the lac bug live?
There lac bugs live in trees and are harvested periodically. This happens by scraping off the layer of shellac from the branches of the trees, which kills many lac bugs and their eggs.
Which country is the largest producer of lac in the world?
India
India is the largest producers of lac in the world and adds to about 70% of the world’s need.
How many generations of lac insects are there a year?
A single larva can destroy 40-60 lac insect cells in its whole larval period. It has six generations in a year and the duration of the generations are about 37, 45, 42, 125, 80 and 40 days respectively.
How are lac insects used in Lac culture?
It is secreted by an insect, known as lac-insect In order to obtain lac, these insects are cultured and the technique is called lac-culture. It involves proper care of host plants, regular pruning of host plants, propagation, collection and processing of lac.
What is the resinous secretion of lac insects?
Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is Kerria lacca. Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infested. Thousands of lac insects colonize the branches of the host trees and secrete the resinous pigment.
How is the life cycle of a lac insect completed?
Now the male emerges out from its cell, moves on lac incrustation and enters the female cell for fertilization. In this way the life cycle is completed. Lac is a resinous substance secreted by certain glands present in the abdomen of the lac insects. The secretion of lac begins immediately after the larval settlement on the new and tender shoots.
How does the cultivation of Lac trees begin?
Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infested. Thousands of lac insects colonize the branches of the host trees and secrete the resinous pigment.