Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Kerria lacca is a species of insect in the family Kerriidae, the lac insects. These are in the superfamily Coccoidea, the scale insects. This species is perhaps the most commercially important lac insect, being a main source of lac, a resin which can be refined into shellac and other products. [1] This insect is native to Asia. [2]
The word lac is derived from the Sanskrit word lākshā '(लाक्षा) representing the number 100 thousand, which was used for both the lac insect (because of their enormous number) and the scarlet resinous secretion it produces that was used as wood finish, lacquerware, skin cosmetic, ornaments and dye for wool and silk in ancient India and neighbouring areas.
The number of lac bugs required to produce 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of shellac has variously been estimated between 50,000 and 300,000. [ 9 ] [ 10 ] The root word lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system for 100,000 and presumably refers to the huge numbers of insects that swarm on host trees, up to 150 per square inch (23/cm 2 ).
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
Kerriidae is a family of scale insects, 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.
Main page; Contents; Current events; Random article; About Wikipedia; Contact us
The sap undergoes a chemical transformation in the bug's body so that when it is secreted, it hardens on contact with the air and creates a protective shell around the eggs. That hardened shell is ...
A lactam is a cyclic amide, formally derived from an amino alkanoic acid through cyclization reactions. The term is a portmanteau of the words lactone + amide.