1. Innocent Hearts Group Of Institutions
jalandhar
School of agriculture
Presented by-Nikhil kumar (Bsc agri 6th)
Topic-biology and host plants of lac insects

2. General Introduction
● Lac is the scarlet red resinous secretion of a number of species of lac
insects, of which the most commonly cultivated species is Laccifer lacca or
Kerria Lacca
● It is only known commercial resin of animal origin.
● Lac produced is a mixture of resin, dye and wax

3. Lac culture
● Rearing of lac insects for commercial production of the lac is called as lac
culture
● Commercial lac( processed resin is called -Shellac
● Host plant- Kusumi (Shorea robusta) – Kusumi lac
● Host plant - Palas (Butea monosperma) – Rangeeni lac (90% lac in India)

4. Taxonomy
Systematic Position of Lac Insect The first scientific account of the lac insect was
given by J. Kerr in 1782.
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Homoptera
Family: Kerridae
Genus: Kerria

5. Overview lac production
● Lac insect is a minute crawling scale insect with suctorial proboscis through
which it sucks phloem saps of the host plant twigs.
● They secrete resin from hypodermal gland,which gradually encases the-body of
the insect totally in a
● structure referred to as 'CELL'
● There are 9 genera of Lac insect out of which only 5 secrete lac and only one i.e.,
Kerria lacca secretes recoverable or commercial Lac.

6. Life cycle of lac insects
The life cycle of lac insects
completed in to following steps.
1. Fertilization
2. Egg laying
3. Hatching
4. Nymph formation
5. Development of adult

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