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Rearing of lac insects for cultivation of lac and its processing in manufacturing of various products

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TITLE

Rearing of lac insects for cultivation of lac and its processing in manufacturing of various products

AUTHORS

SHAHID MEHMOOD1 and MUHAMMAD UMAR2

Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38000, Pakistan.

1 [email protected] , +92-305-4738456 2 [email protected] , +92-308-7194046

ABSTRACT

Lac insects are exploited for their products of commerce, viz. resin, dye and wax. Cultivation of lac not only provides livelihood to millions of lac growers, but also helps in conserving vast stretches of forests and biodiversity associated with lac insect complex. The lac ecosystem is a complex multi-trophic web of flora and fauna; of the 87-species falling under nine genera recorded from the world, 19 species belonging to two genera, namely Kerria and Paratachardina are found in India. Lac insects thrive on more than 400 plant species generally growing in the forests which have varied economic, medicinal and social significance. Twenty-two species of lac predators, 30 species of primary and 45 species of secondary parasites, besides several fungal pathogens, represent a rich biodiversity of this ecosystem. Moreover, this natural lac complex also maintains a variety of other tree flora, macro fauna and soil microorganisms. Several of the insect fauna associated with lac insects are species-specific (exclusive to the ecosystem) and hence, loss of even one species of lac insect poses a danger of losing many other related species. Many lac insects and associated fauna have become endangered where lac cultivation has been abandoned or habitat destroyed. Promoting and encouraging lac culture will not only check environmental degradation but also conserve associated fauna and flora for posterity.

1.INTRODUCTION Lac is a natural commercial resin of animal origin. It is a resinous exudation/Secretion from the body of female scale insect. The art of rearing Lac insects for Lac production is called Lac cultivation/Culture.

Insect Species Include Laccifer lacca Kerria lacca

Taxonomic Classification: Taxonomic Classification:

Kingdom --- Animalia Kingdom --- Animalia Phylum --- Arthropoda Phylum --- Arthropoda Class --- Insecta Class --- Insecta Order --- Hemiptera Order --- Hemiptera Superfamily --- Coccoidae Superfamily --- Coccoidae Family --- Lacciferidae Family --- Kerridae Genus --- Laccifer Genus --- Kerria Species --- L. lacca Species --- K. lacca

Picture: Picture:

2. INSECT BIOLOGY / LIFE CYCLE

The Life cycle of lac insect takes about six months and consists of stages: Egg, Nymphal Instars, Pupa and Adult.

The adult male is winged and walks over the females to fertilize them. The female increases in size to accommodate her for laying number of eggs. After fourteen weeks, the female shrinks in size allowing light to pass into the cell (Its own body ultimately gets covered with lac, so called “CELL”) and the space for the eggs. Lac is secreted by insects for protection from predators. The female oviposits a large number of eggs in the space called “Ovisac”. When the eggs hatch, larvae emerge and the whole process begins all over again.

Eggs: The lac insects have an ovoviviparous mode of reproduction. Female lays 200-500 ready to hatch eggs, i.e. the embryos are already fully developed in eggs when these are laid. Eggs hatch within a few hours of laying, and a crimson-red first instar nymph called crawlers come out

Larvae: The larvae are minute, boat shaped, red colored and measure little over half millimeter in length. Larva consists of head, thorax and abdomen. Head bears a pair of antennae, a pair of simple eyes and a single proboscis. All three thoracic segments are provided with a pair of walking legs. Thorax also bears two pairs of spiracles for respiration. Abdomen is provided with a pair of caudal setae. These larvae begin to wander in search of suitable center to fix them. This mass movement of larvae from female cell to the new off-shoots of host plant, is termed as “swarming”. The emergence of larvae from female cell occurs through anal tubular opening of the cell and this emergence may continue for three weeks. The larvae of lac are very sluggish and feed continuously when once they get fixed with the twig.

2.1 Pupation and Secretion of LAC: In the meantime, the larvae start secreting resinous substance around their body through certain glands present in the body. After some time, the larvae get fully covered by the lac encasement, also known as LAC Cell. Once they are fully covered, they molt and begin to feed actively.

2.2 Cell Structure: The cell produced by male and female differ in shape and can be easily distinguished. MALE CELL FEMALE CELL Male cells are Elongated and Cigar Female cell is oval Shaped. There is a pair of branchial pores in the There is a pair of small branchial pores in anterior side and a single large circular opening anterior side and a single round anal tubular covered by the flap in the posterior side. opening in posterior side Male lac insect emerges out through the Posterior Anal Opening provided with white waxy Posterior Circular Opening. filaments which indicate that the insect inside is alive and healthy and also prevent it from Blockage. Male Cell Structure Female Cell Structure

Larvae molt in their respective cells. It is the second stage larva which undergoes pseudo-pupation for a brief time, whereby it changes into adult stage. Adult: After the Pupation completed, Male emerges out from its cell, moves on lac incrustation and enters the female cell for fertilization. In this way the life cycle is completed. Male is red in color and measures 1.2 - 1.5mm in length. It has reduced eyes and antennae. Thorax bears a pair of hyaline wings. While Female is larger than male, measures 4-5 mm in length and has a pyriform body. The head, thorax and abdomen are not clearly distinct. The antennae and legs are in degenerated form, and wings are absent.

3. FAVORABLE CONDITIONS  Max. temperature: 110 F  Average humidity 40-70%

4. REARING OF LAC INSECTS / CULTIVATION OF LAC

Following Steps Involve in the Cultivation of LAC ➢ Selection and Cultivation of Host Plant ➢ Inoculation of LAC Brood ➢ LAC Processing

4.1 Selection and Cultivation of Host Plant:

Lac insects thrive on twigs of certain plant species, suck the Plant sap, and grow while secreting lac resin from their bodies. About 113 varieties of host plants are mentioned as lac host plant. Out of which the followings are very common 1. Zizyphus jujuba (Ber) 2. Ficus spp. (Fig) 3. Acacia arabica (Kiker) 4. Albizzia labbak (Siris)

There are two ways for the cultivation of Host Plants.

I) One is that plants should be allowed to grow in their natural way and the function of lac-culturist is only to protect and care for proper growth of plants.

II) On the other hand, a particular piece of land is taken for that purpose and systematic plantation of host plants should be made there. Here Proper care of Plant is required which include

• Regular Visit to the field • Proper Ploughing and Hoeing • Timely Irrigation facilities • Suitable Application of Artificial manure • Protecting the plants from cattle and human beings by installing fence around the Field

4.2 Inoculation of LAC Brood: Lac Cultivation in done by putting brood lac on suitably prepared Specific Host Plant. The Lac Brood contains gravid females which are about to lay eggs to give birth to young larvae. After emergence from mother cells, the young larvae settle on fresh twigs of host plants, suck the plant sap and grow to form encrustations.

Composition of LAC: The major constituent of lac is the resin. Other constituents present are: dye, wax, sugar, proteins, soluble salts, sand, woody matter, insect body debris etc. Their distribution is given below in the table;

Constituent Percentage Lac resin 68 Lac Wax 6 Lac Dye 1-2 Others 25

4.3 Processing of LAC:

• Stick lac Following harvest, lac encrustations are removed from the twigs of host plant by scraping. The raw lac thus obtained is known as stick lack. The stick lac cannot be stored for longer duration, as the lac has tendency to form lump, and there is loss in quality of lac.

• Seed lac The primary processing to stick lac soon after harvesting is necessary, because the storage of stick lac is more congenial for lump formation and breeding of storage pests, and hereby causing substantial loses and deterioration in quality. The stick lac is crushed and sieved to remove sand and dust. It is then washed in large vats again and again to break open the encrusted insect bodies, to wash out the lac dye and twig debris.

• Shellac The shellac is the name of finished product and is commonly used across the world. Seed lac is processed into shellac by any of the three methods: o handmade country Process o heat process o solvent process.

5. LAC PRODUCTS AND THEIR USES

Lac is now being used at industrial level in the manufacturing of various products. Its transformation into various products and their uses are given below

5.1 Lac dye: Lac dye is a mixture of Anthraquinoid derivatives. It is traditionally used to color wool and silk. ❖ Use It is used in food and beverages industry for coloring.

5.2 Lac wax: Lac wax is a mixture of higher alcohols, acids and their esters. ❖ Uses • Polishes applied on shoes, floor, automobiles etc. • Food and confectionary, and drug tablet finishing • lipsticks • Crayons

5.3 Shellac: Shellac is a natural gum resin and is used in over 100 industries.

❖ Uses • It is used in fruit coatings, e.g. for citrus fruits and apples, parting and glazing agents for sweets, marzipan, chocolate etc. • Also used as binder for foodstuff stamp inks, e.g. for cheese and eggs. • It is used as binder for mascara, nail varnish additive, conditioning shampoo, film forming agent for hair spray, micro-encapsulation for perfumes. • It is used for enteric (i.e. digestive juice-resistant) coatings for tablets and as odor barrier for dragees. • Jewelers and Goldsmiths use lac as a filling material in the Hollows in Ornaments. • It is also used in preparation of Toys, Buttons, Pottery and Artificial Leather.

5.4 Bleached Shellac: Bleached shellac is widely used in the following industry

❖ Uses • Paint Industry (Primer for Plastic Parts and Plastic Film) • Aluminum Industry (Primer for Aluminum and Aluminum foils) • Pharmaceutical Companies (for coating of pills, tables, gel caps) • Confectionery (in coating of confections, chewing gums, marzipan chocolates, jelly and coffee-beans etc.) • Textiles (used as textile auxiliaries and felt hat stiffening agents) • Cosmetics (used in hair spray, hair and lacquers, hair shampoos, and binder for mascara) • Electric (as Binder for Lamp Cements) • Plastic (it is Primer for Plastic Parts and Films)

5.5 Dewaxed Bleached Shellac: Dewaxed white shellac is used in the same way as any other grade of shellac like  Coating of fruits and vegetables  Coating in cosmetic industry

5.6 Shellac Aleuritic Powder

Aleuritic Acid is white powder or granule. Its uses are

 Preparation of plastics with good adhesive properties by the condensation of Aleuritic acid with Phthalic Anhydride and Glycerin, rosin etc.

6. NATURAL ENEMIES OF LAC

6.1 Predators: Two Moth Predators cause a lot of damage to lac.

➢ Eublemma amabilis: Commonly known as White Lac Moth, order Lepidoptera. The larva is dirty white in color and tunnels through the lac encrustation and feeds on larvae and adults. It pupates within the tunnel and adults after emerging lay their eggs near the lac encrustation. ➢ Holcocera pulverea: Commonly known as Back Lac Moth, order Lepidoptera. The damage by the brownish larva is similar to the above species. Pupa is slightly bigger and yellowish-brown.

6.2 Parasites: Lac Insects are parasitized by so many small parasitic species of insects belonging to super family chalcidoidae , order hymenoptera.

1. Paraecthrodryinus clavicornis; 4. Erencyrtus dewitzi; 2. Tachardiaephagus tachardiae; 5. Eupelmus tachardiae; 3. Tetrasticus purpurens.

These parasites lay eggs in lac cells. Their grubs on hatching feed on lac insects within the cells. Recorded loss due to these parasites is about 5-10%.

REFERENCES:

1- Jaiswal AK and Sharma KK. Lac insect its development and lifecycle. Model training course on ‘Advanced lac production, storage and application technology for employment and income generation’ Indian Lac Research Institute Namkum, Ranchi, 2002; pp 20-24.

2- Kumar, K. K., Scope of lac cultivation in employment and income generation. In Recent Advances in Lac Culture (eds. Kumar, K. K., Ramani, R. and Sharma, K. K.), ILRI, Ranchi, 2002, pp. 254–262.

3- Roonwal, M. L., Raizada, M. B., Chatterjee, R. N. and Singh, B., Descriptive account of the host plants of the lac insect, Laccifer lacca (Kerr) and the allied plants in the Indian region (Part 1 & 2), Indian Lac Cess Committee, Ranchi, 1958, p. 140.

4- Jaiswal AK and Bhattacharya A. Conventional and Scientific method of lac cultivation. Model training cource on ‘Advanced lac production, storage and application technology for employment and income generation’., Indian Lac Research Institute Namkum, Ranchi, 2007; pp 26-31.

5- Singh BP. Management of lac cultivation on Flemingia ssp., advanced lac production, storage and application technology for employment and income generation. Indian lac research institute namkum, Ranchi, 2007; pp 72-80.

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