''Kerriidae'' is a family of

scale insects Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than t ...

, commonly known as lac insects or lac scales. Some members of the genera ''Metatachardia'', ''Tachardiella'', ''Austrotacharidia'', ''Afrotachardina'', ''Tachardina'', and ''Kerria'' are raised for commercial purposes, though the most commonly cultivated species is '' Kerria lacca''. These insects secrete a waxy resin that is harvested and converted commercially into

lac 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 infe ...

and

shellac Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and w ...

, used in various

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...

s, cosmetics, food glazes, wood finishing varnishes and polishes. Species include: *'' Kerria lacca'' – true lac scale *'' Paratachardina decorella'' – rosette lac scale *'' Paratachardina pseudolobata'' – lobate lac scale

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* *
Taxonomy
Scale insects Hemiptera families Neococcoids {{Coccoidea-stub

See also

References

External links