Lac dye Introduction

Lac dye is acquired from the females and eggs of the insects accepted as Coccus lacca, which abound assorted trees, abnormally fig trees, aboriginal to Asia and India. They, and kermes and cochineal insects, are of a blazon frequently alleged "shield-louse", as they are baby and annular with a absorber on the back. Changeable lac insects accept abeyant wings and legs and absorb their accomplished activity aggregate in ample clusters on host plants. When lac dye is harvested, its beastly agent is around unrecognisable, because it is a solid actuality fabricated up of bodies of changeable insects which are dead, anniversary with some 200 to 500 unhatched eggs, all amidst by a brown-red, accustomed exudation. Individual insects are not visible, and the accomplished actuality looks like some anatomy of advance on the host plant. It is calm by breaking off lac-bearing branches afore the larvae hatch. Some lac is left, and at alive time the larvae of minute admeasurement can be apparent for a few canicule affective about to acquisition a abode on the timberline to achieve and feed.