FAIRSpectra - Enabling the FAIRification of Analytical Science
Lac insect, it's natural enemies and their management
1.
2. What is Lac?
Lac is the scarlet red resinous secretion
of a number of species of lac insects,
of which the most commonly
cultivated species is Kerria lacca.
It is only known commercial resin of
animal origin.
Lac produced is a mixture of resin, dye and wax.
3. Rearing of lac insects for commercial production of the
lac is called as lac culture.
Cultivation of Lac not only provide livelihood to
millions of Lac growers, but also helps in conserving
vast stretches of forest and biodiversity associated with
lac insect complex.
For qualitative and quantitative production of lac it is
important to know the biology and behavior of the insect,
it’s strains and natural enemy complex which is the major
constraint in lac production.
4. Systematic Position of Lac Insect
The first scientific account of the lac insect was given by J. Kerr
in 1782.
Kerria
Genus
Kerridae
Family
Homoptera
Order
Insecta
Class
Arthropoda
Phylum
5. Distribution and Production
India is the principal lac producing country of the
world.
Lac is currently being produced in
India,Bangladesh,Mayanmar,China,Thailand,Vietnam.
In India Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are chief
producers of lac.
6. In India-
51%
14%
14%
9%
4%
3% 2% 3%
Production(%)
Jharkhand
Chhattisgarh
14.58
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Odisha
West Bengal
State wise share in Lac Production during 2013-14
7. Lac Insect
Lac insect is a minute crawling scale insect with suctorial
proboscis through which it sucks phloem saps of the host
plant twigs.
They secrete resin from hypodermal
gland which gradually encases the
body of the insect totally in a
structure referred to as ‘CELL’
There are 9 genera of Lac insect out of which only 5 secrete
lac and only one i.e., Kerria lacca secretes recoverable or
commercial Lac.
CELL
15. Strains of Lac Insect
Strains Host plant Crop Time of
inoculation
Time of
harvesting
Kusumi Kusum,
Ber
Flemingia
sp.
Jehwi
(6 months)
January-
February
June-July
Aghani
(6months)
June-July January-
February
Rangeeni Palash,Ber,
Ficus.
Katki
(4 months)
June-July October-
November
Baisakhi
(8 months)
October -
November
June-July
16. Importance of Lac Insect
Lac is the only known commercial
resin of animal origin.
The lac insects yields :
1.Resin-
Natural polymer.
Made of hydroxy fatty acids.
Principally it consists of-
Aleuritic acid
(9,10,16 trihydroxyhexadecanoic
acid)
Hydroxy sesquiterpenic acids.
Shellac made from resin
17. 2.Lac dye- erythrolaccin and laccaic acid.
3.Lac wax-benzene extract of stick lac , extracted with
alcohol.
Dye Wax
18. Natural Enemies
Lac insects spends only a few hours of active mobility
and thereafter, complete sedentary life.
Thus prone to a horde of enemies.
Loss caused by natural enemies anually-35-40%.
Vertebrate Predators includes Monkeys , squirrels, rats ,
lizards , wood peckers and other birds.
A total of 16 species of birds and wood peckers have been
recorded.
19. Vertebrate Enemies of Lac Insect
Important vertebrate enemies
are squirrel and rats.
Losses -50% of brood sticks
are damaged by them.
Consumes full grown gravid
female.
Monkeys - damages lac
encrustations
Management-
Scaring animals using audio
aids, acoustics.
22. Yield Loss in Lac Crop
Parasi-
toids
Preda-
tors
Lac yield
loss(%)
7.5 90
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percentageyieldloss
Percentage Yield Loss in
Lac Crop due to attack of
Natural Enemies
18
20
19
20
Number
No. of Natural Enemies reported in
Lac Insect
23. Contd.
Sharma et al. (2007) studied superparasitism in K. lacca
and its implications on fecundity and resin producing
efficiency of its two strains.
S.No. Average reduction
in resin produced
by single female(%)
Reduction in
fecundity
(%)
Lac Insect
Strain
1. 17.25-39.80 22.44-96.82 Rangeeni
2. 25.24-37.91 25.29-90.39 Kusumi
24. Most Destructive Pests of Lac
Eublemma amabilis
(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)
Causes most damage during Katki
and Aghani lac crops.
Loss-30-35%
Life history :
Eggs-greyish, flat and rounded
(laid singly on lac insect)
1st instar larva- 0.51 to 0.54 mm
in length.
No. of Generation- 6
25. Nature of Damage-
Larvae enters either through the opening of the
encrustation or by tunnelling a hole through encrustation.
Symptoms of Damage- Attacked lac cells can easily be
identified because of its pinkish coloration.
A single larva can destroy 40-60 lac insect cells.
26. Pseudohypatopa pulverea
(Lepidoptera: Blastobasidae)
Life history
Eggs- oval ,colourless , laid singly on the lac
insect cell.
No. of instars-5
Nature of Damage-
It feeds on the live and dead lac insects
and is found in large numbers in stored lac.
Symptoms of Damage-
Larval stages feed on the lac larvae and spins
a loose web.
A single larval predator destroys 45-60 mature
lac cells.
27. Chrysopa sp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
Total life cycle
21-27 days(summer)
54 days (winter)
Pupa outside lac
encrustation
Larval instar-3
Larva conceals its body
under a covering of wax
filaments and insect debris.
light green
initially,
brownish at the
time of
hatching.
Lay stalked eggs on the lac
encrustation, on leaves or on any
part of the host trees.
Nature of damage-
•First instar larvae feeds
immediately on the insects.
• It does not tunnel
its way through the
lac encrustation.
28. Management
Preventive measures:
Parasite and predator free brood lac should be used for
inoculation.
Phunki should be removed from the inoculated trees in
2-3weeks and immersed in water to kill the pest.
Entire crop should be harvested at the maturity, partial
harvesting should be avoided.
29. • Stick lac should be scrapped as soon as possible and
should be processed immediately to convert into seed lac.
• Infected stick lac should be treated with fumigant
insecticide along with predators and pests.
• Remove eggs of Chrysopa sp. from the plant or lac cells
time to time.
• Regular monitoring is necessary for observation of any
deformity or attack of insect pest.
30. Cultural Method-
Pruning:
Cutting away old, weak and diseased
twigs from the host plants.
It is done in January or June.
Objectives of Pruning:
To ensure new, good, healthy and
succulent shoots.
To ensure availability of large number
of shoots (larger area for lac insect
settlement).
31. Mechanical method-
Use of 60 mesh synthetic
netting (brood bag) to enclose
brood lac.
Checks egg laying by the
predator moths on the new
crop.
Light trap for Chrysopa
spp. attacking Kusmi lac crop
(during the months of August
and September).
32. Biological Method
@ 20 egg parasitoid per bush
77-86 % ( Rangeeni crop )
52-72 % ( Kusumi crop)
Reduction in population
Eublemma amabilis , P.pulverea
Trichogramma achaeae , T.
ostrinae ,T. exiguum ,T.chilonis
Egg parasitoids
34. Microbial method
@0.051%
significantly increases yield of K.lacca in Rangeeni lac
on ber
at 30-35 days stage o f crop
E. amabilis P.pulverea
Biopesticide
Bacillus thuringiencis subspecies kurstaki
35. Botanical Method
The extracted essential oils from Cymbopogon citrates
(lemon grass),C. martini (Palmarosa) ,C. nardus
(Citronella) serves an excellent repellents against
E. amabilis and P. pulverea.
Excellent repellent against
36. Chemical Method
For Chrysopa spray
Indoxacarb @0.02%
Fipronil @0.05% and 0.1%
Avoid pesticide spray at male emergence that is between 45-60
days after inoculation.
Bhattacharya et al. (1995) reported strong ovicidal action of
Diflubenzuron (Dimilin 25 WP) against the eggs of
E. amabilis
37. First spray of insecticide –
It should be done after one month of lac inoculation –
Cartap hydrochloride 50 SP @ 10g/10 lit water or
Ethofenprox 10 EC (Nukil) @ 2 ml/lit water for
Chrysopa madestes as well as lepidopteran pests.
Second spray of the insecticide-
It should be done at two month of lac inoculation or one
month after first spray application.
Bavistin @ 3gm/14 lit water and Imidacloprid @7ml/10 lit
water.
Similarly in both the crop of rangeeni strain.
38. Conclusion
K. lacca is a valuable insect of economical and ecological interest.
Lac production is an economical activity among rainfed farmers and
forest dependants in Central Indian region.
K. lacca is prone to biotic and abiotic stress, thus affects the
productivity, influencing the cash inflow of poor and marginal farmers.
Predators and parasitoids cause heavy yield loss to the lac crop,
requires to be managed sustainably.
By following the approaches mentioned here the natural enemies may
be managed effectively resulting in increase of production.
.
39. Reference
Kumar, A.,Bhatnagar, S.(2013) Biologiacl Attributes of Lac Insect
Kumar, A., Vadhya , S.N., Mahto, R.K. (2013). Pests of lac culture and their
management.
Shah, T.H., Thomas, M., Bhandari, R. (2015) . Lac Production,Constraints And
Management –A Review. International Journal of Current Research Vol.
7,Issue,03,pp.13652-13659.
Singh, J.P., Jaiswal, A.K., Monobrullah, Md., Bhattacharya, A. (2009). Response of
some selected insecticides on neuropteran predator (Chrysopa lacciperda) of
lac insect (Kerria lacca). Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 79 (9),727-731.
Yogi, R.K,(2015).Lac associated insect fauna.
Yogi, R.K., Jaiswal,A.K,(2015). Lac,Plant Resins and Gums Statistics.
