The lac insect (Kerria lacca) is a tiny scale insect that lives on the twigs of certain trees and secretes a hard, sticky resin called lac, the raw material for shellac and lac dye and one of India’s most valuable minor forest products. Lac is gathered from the branches of host trees such as kusum, palash and ber, mainly in the forested central and eastern belts of the country, and it supports the livelihoods of many tribal and rural families.
The lac insect is one of the few insects, along with the honey bee and the silkworm, to have been turned into a commercial resource by people. This explainer describes what the lac insect is, how it makes lac, its life cycle and host trees, the two Indian strains, how lac is farmed and harvested, and why the products matter.
| Quick Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | Kerria lacca; order Hemiptera (true bugs), superfamily Coccoidea (scale insects), family Kerriidae |
| Size | Very small; the settled female is only a few millimetres across and is hidden under her resin cell |
| Habitat in India | Host trees in the forests and farmland of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and neighbouring states |
| Diet | Sucks sap from the young twigs of host trees such as kusum, palash and ber |
| Life cycle | Eggs hatch into mobile larvae (crawlers) that settle on twigs and secrete resin; females remain fixed, males become tiny winged insects |
| Ecological and economic role | Source of lac, shellac, lac dye and lac wax; recognised minor forest produce that gives income to rural and tribal communities |
| Notable features | Two Indian strains, rangeeni and kusmi; scraped twig lac is called stick lac; the research body is the Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums, Ranchi |
| Main products | Shellac (polish and coatings), lac dye (red colouring) and lac wax |
Key Takeaways
- The lac insect (Kerria lacca) is a scale insect that sucks tree sap and secretes lac, a natural resin used to make shellac and a red lac dye.
- Lac is classified as a minor forest produce in India and is gathered mainly from kusum, palash and ber trees in states such as Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
- India has two main lac strains, rangeeni and kusmi, and kusmi lac from the kusum tree is lighter in colour and generally more valued.
- Stick lac scraped from twigs is refined into seed lac and then shellac, which is used in wood polish, sealing wax, bangles, toys, food glazes and tablet coatings.
- Lac cultivation does not require felling trees, since the host trees are only pruned, which makes it a low-impact farming activity.
- The Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums in Ranchi, which began as the Indian Lac Research Institute in 1925, leads research on lac.
What is the lac insect?
The lac insect is a sap-feeding scale insect, Kerria lacca, that produces a protective resin around its body, and that resin is harvested as lac. The insect belongs to the order Hemiptera, which also contains cicadas, aphids and bed bugs, and to the scale-insect group Coccoidea.
Most of the adult female’s life is spent fixed on a twig, covered by a hardened layer of her own secretion. She loses her legs and other external features during development and looks like a small, bright red, bag-like body inside a resin cell. Males are small and delicate, and some have wings, but they live only briefly after emerging.
The word lac comes from the Sanskrit laksha, and the product has been known in the Indian subcontinent for a very long time. The Mahabharata famously describes the Lakshagriha, a palace built partly of lac at Varanavata to trap the Pandavas, which shows that people already knew lac as a highly flammable material in ancient times.
How does the lac insect produce lac?
The lac insect produces lac by feeding on the sap of host trees and secreting the surplus as a resin through glands on the body. The resin hardens on contact with air into a continuous crust that covers the settled insects and the twig.
Female nymphs insert their mouthparts into the soft bark and draw in phloem sap, which is rich in sugars but low in protein, so they must take in large amounts. They excrete the extra sugar as honeydew and use part of the nutrients to make the resin. The combined crust formed by thousands of insects settled side by side coats the twig, and over a few months it can become several millimetres thick.
The same insect also forms a red pigment inside its body, which is the source of lac dye. A small amount of wax is secreted as well. These three outputs, resin, dye and wax, are the basis of the lac industry.
What is the life cycle of the lac insect?
The life cycle of the lac insect begins with eggs that hatch into tiny red crawlers, which settle on fresh twigs, secrete resin and develop into adults. One generation takes roughly a few months, and two generations are normally grown each year in cultivation.
- Egg and emergence: The mature female lays hundreds of eggs inside her resin cell. The eggs hatch into larvae within a short time.
- Crawler stage: The young larvae, called crawlers, leave the cell in swarms and move over the branch. They are the only stage that moves freely and are the means by which lac spreads to new twigs and trees.
- Settling: Crawlers insert their mouthparts into the twig, begin to secrete resin and lose their legs. They stay in place for the rest of their lives.
- Males and females: Female larvae grow into oval, sac-like adults. Males develop within small resin cells and emerge briefly as winged or wingless adults to mate.
- Next generation: After mating, the female grows rapidly, lays eggs and dies inside the resin, and the new crawlers emerge.
Because the crawlers can be moved on twigs, farmers can control the timing of each crop. A bundle of twigs just before the crawlers emerge is called brood lac, and it is the starting material for new crops.
Which trees host the lac insect?
The lac insect lives on a number of host trees, and the most important ones in India are kusum (Schleichera oleosa), palash (Butea monosperma) and ber (Ziziphus mauritiana). Each host influences the quality and colour of the lac that is produced.
- Kusum: The best host for the kusmi strain, which gives light-coloured, high-quality lac.
- Palash: A widespread forest tree, also known as the flame of the forest, that supports the rangeeni strain.
- Ber: A hardy, thorny tree of dry regions that is grown for its fruit and is used for lac in many farms.
- Other hosts: Species such as khair, babul and the bushy Flemingia semialata are also used, especially where farmers want a shorter-lived crop that can be managed at ground level.
The host tree is not killed by the insects when the crop is properly managed. Farmers prune the branches after harvest, which promotes tender new shoots that the next crop can use. If too many insects are placed on a weak tree, the branches may dry out, so a rest period is generally recommended.
What are the two main lac strains in India?
The two main lac strains in India are rangeeni and kusmi, which differ in host tree, season and quality. Each strain produces two crops in a year, and the name of each crop indicates the season in which it is harvested.
| Feature | Rangeeni strain | Kusmi strain |
|---|---|---|
| Main hosts | Palash, ber and other trees | Kusum, mainly |
| Crops in a year | Baisakhi and katki | Jethwi and aghani |
| Lac colour | Darker, reddish to brown | Lighter, golden to yellow |
| Typical use | General shellac, sealing wax, bangles, industrial uses | Fine shellac, high-quality polishes and coatings |
| Share of Indian output | Larger share of total production | Smaller share, but often higher priced |
The kusmi strain is usually more valued because the lac is paler and has a different resin quality, which is better for fine finishes. The rangeeni strain is more widespread and is grown on a wider range of trees, so it forms the larger part of Indian production.
How is lac cultivated and harvested in India?
Lac is cultivated in India by tying brood lac to host-tree branches, letting the larvae spread and settle, and then harvesting the encrusted twigs, called stick lac, after a few months. The work is done mainly by tribal and small farmers, and the host trees are not felled.
- Preparing the tree: Branches of the host tree are pruned so that new, soft shoots grow for the insects to settle on.
- Inoculation: Bundles of brood lac are tied to the fresh branches, and the crawlers move from the brood twigs on to the new growth.
- Removing spent brood: After the larvae have settled, the empty brood twigs are taken away.
- Growth period: The insects feed and the resin crust thickens over several months, during which farmers guard against predators and pests.
- Harvest: The encrusted branches are cut, or the lac is scraped off, to give stick lac. Part of the crop is kept as brood lac for the next season.
The harvested stick lac is crushed, washed and sieved to remove twig fragments and dye, giving seed lac. Seed lac is then melted and filtered or solvent-processed into shellac, which is sold as flakes or buttons. The water used in washing carries the red lac dye, which can be recovered.
What products are made from lac?
Products made from lac include shellac, lac dye and lac wax, and these in turn go into polishes, coatings, glazes, colourants, ornaments and electrical and industrial items. Shellac is the most important commercial form of lac.
- Shellac: Used as a wood finish and French polish, in sealing wax, in varnishes, in coatings for paper, and as a glaze on sweets and fruit, where it is labelled with the food additive number E904.
- Pharmaceutical coatings: Shellac is used to coat tablets and capsules so that they dissolve at a controlled point.
- Lac dye: A natural red colourant that has been used for dyeing textiles and in some foods and cosmetics.
- Lac wax: A by-product used in polishes and coatings.
- Craft products: Traditional lac bangles, lacquered toys and decorated wooden objects, including the lacquer toys of Channapatna in Karnataka and the bangles sold in Rajasthan and Hyderabad.
- Older uses: Early gramophone records, electrical insulation and hat stiffening used shellac before synthetic materials became common.
Shellac is of insect origin, a fact relevant to people who avoid animal-derived products. It is a secretion and the insects are not generally harvested for it, although some insects inevitably remain in the crude product.
Where is lac produced in India?
Lac is produced mainly in the central and eastern plateau regions of India, with Jharkhand being the largest producing state. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha are other important producers.
India is one of the world’s major lac producers and has historically supplied most of the world’s shellac, and Thailand and Myanmar are other producing countries. A large part of Indian lac is exported as shellac, and processing hubs have long existed in places such as Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, Jhalda in West Bengal and the Ranchi region.
Production varies from year to year with rainfall, host-tree condition, prices and crop losses, so any production figure is only meaningful for a given season.
Why is lac important to forest communities and the economy?
Lac is important because it gives a regular cash income to rural and tribal families who live in or near forests, and because it is a renewable product that requires the trees to be kept standing. Lac farming fits well with other forest livelihoods and needs little land or capital.
Because host trees are pruned rather than felled, lac farming gives families a reason to protect kusum, palash and ber trees on their own land and in village forests. It also complements agriculture, since the main work comes at times of the year when field work is slower.
The indirect benefits are also real. A diversified lac economy reduces dependence on a single crop, and lac-based crafts support artisan communities. The Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums in Ranchi, which grew out of the Indian Lac Research Institute founded in 1925, develops improved methods and supports training.
What challenges does lac farming face?
Lac farming faces challenges from unstable prices, competition from synthetic resins, predators and pests, and the loss of host trees. These factors make output and income less predictable for growers.
- Price fluctuation: Prices of raw lac and shellac change with export demand and the supply of competing materials.
- Synthetic substitutes: Many industrial coatings and insulators now use synthetic resins, reducing some traditional markets for shellac.
- Insect enemies: Predatory moths and parasitic wasps attack lac insects and can destroy a large share of a crop.
- Weather: Extreme heat, cold or erratic rain can kill the larvae or weaken the host trees.
- Host tree decline: Overuse of the same trees without rest, and loss of forest cover, reduce the number of healthy hosts.
Natural, plant-based and low-carbon materials are attracting renewed interest, and shellac has found continued demand in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and wood finishing. Better training, quality brood lac and fair market access remain the main ways to keep lac farming viable.
Bottom Line
The lac insect is a tiny scale insect whose resin has supplied shellac, dye and wax for centuries, and India remains one of the world’s key sources. Because lac farming depends on living host trees, it is one of the few commercial activities that link rural income directly to keeping forest trees standing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a lac insect?
A lac insect is a small scale insect, Kerria lacca, that sucks sap from host trees and secretes a hard resin called lac. The resin is collected from twigs and processed into shellac and lac dye. India is one of the world’s leading producers.
How is shellac made from the lac insect?
Shellac is made by scraping or cutting lac-encrusted twigs, known as stick lac, then crushing and washing them to get seed lac. The seed lac is melted and filtered, or dissolved and filtered, to make shellac in flakes or buttons. The wash water also carries the red lac dye.
Which trees are used for lac cultivation in India?
The main host trees for lac cultivation in India are kusum, palash and ber. Kusum is the preferred host for the high-quality kusmi strain, while palash and ber support the more common rangeeni strain. Other hosts include babul, khair and the shrub Flemingia semialata.
Which Indian states produce the most lac?
Jharkhand is the largest lac-producing state in India. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha also produce significant amounts. Output changes from season to season with weather and prices.
What is lac used for?
Lac is used mainly to make shellac, which goes into wood polish, varnishes, sealing wax, bangles, toys, food glazes and tablet coatings. The red dye extracted from lac is used as a natural colourant. Lac wax is a smaller by-product used in polishes.
Does harvesting lac harm the host tree or the insects?
Harvesting lac does not normally harm a healthy host tree, because branches are pruned rather than the tree being felled. The insects on the harvested twigs are lost, but farmers keep part of each crop as brood lac to start the next one. Overloading a weak tree without a rest period can damage it, which is why careful management is advised.
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