Question

By which insect lac is obtained?

Answer 1

Hint:The name of product derived resembles the name of the family, genus as well as the species of insect. The name of the product is given after the biological name of the insect.

Complete answer:
Lac is a resinous material secreted naturally by the lac insects. This resinous material is harvested and converted into the lac for commercial uses. Lac is secreted by certain glands in the abdomen of the lac insects. Lac is used in various cosmetics, shellac, dyes, polishes, etc.Kerriidae is a family of scale insects, commonly known as lac insects. Kerria lacca is one such species of lac insects. These insects secrete a waxy resin that is harvested and converted commercially into lac and shellac, used in various dyes, cosmetics, wood finishing varnishes and polishes. Cultivation of Lac insects for commercial production of lac is called Lac-culture. In lac culture, lac insects are grown on the sap of the trees. They derive their nutrition from the young twigs of the trees. Lac is deposited on the branch of a tree around the insect itself. From there it is extracted and converted commercially to form lac. Lac is produced by female insects. The male insect is just for fertilizing the female insects. As the female gametes are fertilized the amount of lac production increases rapidly.
The insect which produces lac is of
>Phylum Arthropoda
>Class Insecta
>Family Accipitridae
>Genus Laccifer
>Species Lacca
Laccifer Lacca is the best source for commercial production of lac in India. It is best for bulk commercial production of lac.

Note:Lac insects do not grow on hard trunks of trees. They grow on young growing and slender twigs. That’s why while doing lac-culture pruning of plants is necessary.