Indian lac insect
Quick Summary
The Indian lac insect, Laccifer lacca, is a tiny scale insect that produces a sticky, resinous secretion known as lac. This secretion is deposited on the twigs of various trees, particularly in India and Southeast Asia. Lac has been used for centuries, with early applications as plastic and decorative materials dating back to around 1200 BCE.12
The harvested lac is primarily used to produce shellac and a red dye. The word "lac" originates from Sanskrit and signifies "hundred thousand," referring to the vast number of insects needed to produce the substance. It takes approximately 17,000 to 90,000 insects to yield just one pound of shellac.1
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- lac
…of the tiny lac insect, Laccifer lacca, which is a species of scale insect. This insect deposits lac on the twigs and young branches of several varieties of soapberry and acacia trees and particularly on the sacred fig, Ficus religiosa, in India, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.…
Read More…of the tiny lac insect, Laccifer lacca, which is a species of scale insect. This insect deposits lac on the twigs and young branches of several varieties of soapberry and acacia trees and particularly on the sacred fig, Ficus religiosa, in India, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.…
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shellac…insect, a tiny scale insect, Laccifer lacca (see lac). Shellac is a natural thermoplastic; that is, a material that is soft and flows under pressure when heated but becomes rigid at room temperature. This property makes it useful either by itself or in combination with such fillers as flaked mica…
Read More…insect, a tiny scale insect, Laccifer lacca (see lac). Shellac is a natural thermoplastic; that is, a material that is soft and flows under pressure when heated but becomes rigid at room temperature. This property makes it useful either by itself or in combination with such fillers as flaked mica…
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