Shellac as a multifunctional biopolymer: A review on properties, applications and future potential.

Kerria lacca (Kerr) is a phloem feeder and secretes lac over its body. Lac serves as a cash crop to forest dependents, rainfed and resource poor farmers. Lac productivity is low, as nutrient management of host trees of K. lacca is rarely followed. Impact study in K. lacca inoculated Zizyphus mauritiana (Lamb.) conducted during 2013-14, revealed that there was an increase in both the survivability of K. lacca as well as resin production by it. The mean percentage survivability of K. lacca at maturity of the lac crop was highest (17.21%) over control in case of plants treated with NPK. It was followed by N and NP treatments (12% and 10.71%, respectively). Similarly, the mean fresh weight (g) of 100 cells of lac insect was also highest in case of NPK (21.39%) over control, followed by N and NP treatments (15.84% and 14.25%, respectively). The mean dry weight (g) of 100 cell of lac insects was highest in case of NPK (19.71%) followed by NP (14.50%) and N (13.57%).

https://www.entomoljournal.com/archives/2014/vol2issue5/PartC/30.pdf

Impact of nutrient management in Zizyphus mauritiana (Lamb.) on the survivability of lac insect and the yield of Aghani crop of Kusmi lac

Lac insect Kerria lacca Kerr. is a minute scale insect belonging to the family Tachardiidae (Kerriidae), superfamily Coccoidea of the order Hemiptera (Pal 2009 and Mohanta et al., 2012). It is economically important insect specially due to lac it produce and lac is a minor forest produce (Shah et al., 2015), cash crop (Ramani et al., 2007) and an export commodity (Anon, 2005). Lac production and productivity depends on its host management, quality of brood use (Shah et al., 2015) and live lac insects settled (Khobragade et al., 2012, Rathore 2011, Jhangel et al., 2013, Namdev et al., 2015, Sharma et al., 2015, Ghugal et al., 2015 and Sahu et al., 2016) till the maturity of the lac crop. Quantity of brood to be use for effective inoculation of lac insect International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 12 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com

Effect of Population Density of Kerria lacca Kerr. on its Growth and Survival

The identification of areas of endemism (AOEs) has been a major challenge in biogeography. In the present study, parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) was used to define the AOEs of scale insect species in China. A total of 11 Chinese scale insect endemic areas, Tianshan mountain (A2-B1), South Tibet (H2-H3), Eastern Qinling Mountain (E12-E13), Dalou mountain (G11-H11), West Yunnan (I9, J9-J10, K9), Hainan Island-South west Guangdong (M13-L14), South Guangdong (K15-K16), South Fujian (J17-J18), Center Zhejiang (H18-H19), Taiwan Island (K19-L19) and association of Henan and Hubei (F15-G16), had been identified based on a distribution database of 506 endemic scale insect species. The Chinese areas of scale insects endemism showed a remarkable mountain effect. Hainan and Taiwan islands showed considerable endemism. Moreover, most of these AOEs were found to be endemic sites for several other plants and animals. These results will provide important information for further studies on scale insects diversity in China.

Areas of endemism for scale insects in China

Survival, and yield of rangeeni lac insect on butea monosperma (Lam) treated with different micronutrients and humic acid

The lac insect, Kerria lacca Kerr (Coccoidea: Homoptera) is well known for its valuable resin. It thrives on host plants like Palas, Kusum and Ber. An attempt has been made to study culture of lac in non-conventional method of cultivation in peripheral and buffer zones of Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) where farmers are practicing in a conventional way. The initial density of settlement of larva ranged between 92.58-126.74 no. /cm2 and 93.12-109.62 no. /cm2 in Kusmi strain on Kusum and Ber trees, respectively. For Rangeeni strain it was 82.67-118.32 no. /cm2. The sex ratio (male: female) was found to be 1:3 for all the crops, strains and host plants. The range of resin output per cell was 17.00-21.40 mg for winter crop and 19.00-25.60 mg for summer crop of Kusmi strain on Kusum and Ber plants. For Rangeeni strain on Palas plant it was 05.30-11.20 mg for rainy crop and 18.72 -23.00 mg for summer crop. Moreover, the temperature influenced the life cycle, life span and resin output of this insect. Pruning of trees meet the firewood requirement as fuel and also for household uses, also prevents deforestation and conserve the forest ecosystem. Lac insect has some vertebrate predators like monkeys, squirrels, rats, lizards, woodpeckers, birds and insect predators are Lepidopterans (Eublemma amabilis, Pseudohypatopa pulverea) and Neuropterans (Chrysopa madestes, C. lacciperda). So directly or indirectly lac cultivation helps in conservation of

https://www.entomoljournal.com/archives/2014/vol2issue1/PartA/1-544.pdf

Studies on lac insect (Kerria lacca) for conservation of biodiversity in Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India

Lac is the only resin of animal origin that is the secretion of a tiny scale insect, Kerria lacca Kerr. It thrives on the tender shoots of its host plants, like Palas (Butea monosperma) and Kusum (Schleichera oleosa). These primary host plants are plently available in different zones (buffer and peripheral) of the Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) where people (mostly tribals) are cultivating lac in a conventional way. A comparison between nonconventional (scientific) and conventional (tradional) methods of lac cultivation at SBR shows 25-35% more resin production in former method. The resin production is also more in its two strains (Kusmi on Kusum and Rangeeni on Palas) in buffer zone than that of the peripheral zone. Further, the result shows that resin production is greater in Kusmi strain compared to Rangeeni strain.

Performance of lac insect, kerria lacca kerr in conventional and non-conventional cultivation around similipal biosphere reserve, odisha, india

Lac a natural resin is secreted by a tiny scale insect, Kerria lacca Kerr. Its primary host plants such as kusum (Schleichera oleosa), palas (Butea monosperma) and ber (Zizyphus mauritiana) are available in peripheral and buffer zones of Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR). An attempt has been made to study its life cycle and life span in different zones of SBR. Two strains, i.e., kusmi and rangeeni of lac insect are bivoltine in nature at SBR. The longest life span of 8 months 5 days was observed in baisakhi (summer) crop and shortest life span of 3 months 16 days is seen in katki (rainy) crop of rangeeni strain on palas tree in peripheral zone. The buffer zone also showed the same trend. The life span of young ranges from 44–111 days for all the crops, strains and host plants. The life span of adult male is 2–3 days and the life span of female insect varies between 62–148 days for different crops. The variation of life span of male, female as well as young occurs due to temperature, host plants and strains of lac insect.

D. G. Dey

Papers

Studies on lac insect (Kerria lacca) for conservation of biodiversity in Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India

Performance of lac insect, kerria lacca kerr in conventional and non-conventional cultivation around similipal biosphere reserve, odisha, india

Life cycle of lac insect, Kerria lacca kerr in similipal Biosphere Reserve