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The morphology of lac insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae)

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Lac insects constitute a family, the Kerriidae, of morphologically peculiar scale insects that produce resinous secretions that mostly form a hard scale cover or test. Identification to species level is based on membranous, globose adult females that are difficult to slide-mount and have a complex morphology that is unfamiliar even to most coccidologists. Characteristics important to species recognition are poorly understood in most genera, and the species diversity of lac insects probably has been underestimated. Here we present an overview of the cuticular morphology of the Kerriidae, with emphasis on features most important for species identification, such as the anal tubercle, brachial plate, dorsal spine and marginal and ventral duct clusters. We provide a detailed illustration of the young adult female of Kerria lacca (Kerr), the lac insect of commerce
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Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies
The morphology of lac insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae)
P J Gullan & T Kondo
Department of Entomology, University of California, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616-8584,
U.S.A.
Abstract: Lac insects constitute a family, the Kerriidae, of morphologically peculiar scale insects that
produce resinous secretions that mostly form a hard scale cover or test. Identification to species level
is based on membranous, globose adult females that are difficult to slide-mount and have a complex
morphology that is unfamiliar even to most coccidologists. Characteristics important to species
recognition are poorly understood in most genera, and the species diversity of lac insects probably
has been underestimated. Here we present an overview of the cuticular morphology of the Kerriidae,
with emphasis on features most important for species identification, such as the anal tubercle,
brachial plate, dorsal spine and marginal and ventral duct clusters. We provide a detailed illustration
of the young adult female of Kerria lacca (Kerr), the lac insect of commerce.
Key words: Kerriidae, lac insects, morphology, Kerria lacca.
Introduction
Approximately 90 species of lac insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae) have been
described worldwide in nine genera (Ben-Dov, 2006), based on a classification that was established
by the monographic work of Joseph C. Chamberlin (1923, 1925). The most widely known lac insect
species, Kerria lacca (Kerr), is renowned for the commercial use of its secretion, or shellac, as a
natural polymer (Varshney, 1970; Yao et al., 1989; Ben-Dov, 2006). Some other lac insect species
are plant pests that can cause branch dieback or even plant death (e.g., Campbell et al., 1994;
Pemberton, 2003). Although taxonomic studies in China (e.g., Wang, 1986; Zhang, 1992, 1993),
India (e.g., Varshney, 1977, 1984) and South Africa (Munting, 1965, 1966) have furthered our
knowledge of kerriid diversity, and recent research by Ireneo L. Lit, Jr (Lit & Gullan, 2001; Lit,
2002a,b) has increased our understanding of basic lac insect morphology, accurate identification to
species level remains challenging for several reasons. First there is the technical difficulty of
preparing good microscope slide-mounts that are essential for seeing some of the diagnostic
cuticular features. Adult females have globular, membranous bodies and, unless correctly flattened
dorsoventrally, it may be impossible to distinguish or count structures such as the number of
microducts in marginal and ventral duct clusters. Second, there is an idiosyncratic nomenclature
associated with the peculiar and complex morphology of adult female lac insects, and this can be a
deterrent to using keys or taxonomic papers. Third, we have a very poor understanding of what
constitutes a lac insect species. There are no molecular phylogenetic or population genetic studies
of lac insects, not even for K. lacca and its relatives, and our recent taxonomic study of
Paratachardina Balachowsky (Kondo & Gullan, 2007) has shown that the adult females of closely-
related species can be extremely similar in their cuticular morphology. It is likely that there are
many undescribed species of kerriids.
Here we review the morphological features of the adult female lac insects, provide the first
detailed illustration of the young adult female of K. lacca (the type species of the type genus Kerria
Targioni Tozzetti), and discuss cuticular structures of taxonomic importance in the identification of
kerriid species.
Material and Methods
Young adult females of K. lacca were slide-mounted from dry material deposited at the
BME (Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis). The collection
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Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies
information for these specimens is as follows: "Tachardia lacca grown in Ceylon from imported
stock on Albizzia sp., Peradeniya, Ceylon, # 8940, E.E. Green", 11 slides, 11 specimens, slide-
mounted by T. Kondo and P.J. Gullan, 2007. The illustration of K. lacca is a generalization of
several specimens and was prepared with the assistance of a camera lucida attached to an Olympus
BX40 compound microscope. The terms used to describe lac insects follow those of Chamberlin
(1923), Gill (1993) and Kondo & Gullan (2005, 2007). Some important structures are illustrated in
Figure 1, and others are shown in Figure 2.
Results and discussion
Lac insect females have three instars, i.e., first (crawler stage), second, and adult. Males, if present,
have five instars, i.e., first, second, prepupal, pupal and adult. Although the current classification of
lac insect genera and species is based almost entirely on the cuticular morphology of the adult
females, in the future other instars, especially first-instar nymphs, may become useful for
identification. For a generalized drawing of a lac insect first-instar nymph, see Miller (1991); for a
description of the first-instar nymph of K. lacca see Misra (1931); for the first- and second-instar
nymphs of a Paratachardina species, see Kondo & Gullan (2007).
Lac insects are a morphologically distinctive group of scale insects characterized by adult
females with the following features: (i) body generally covered in a resinous test; (ii) dorsal spine
present (absent in only one species); (ii) brachial plates present; (iii) anal tubercle present and
usually composed of a sclerotized supra-anal plate and usually a less sclerotized pre-anal plate; (iv)
anal ring with 10 setae; (v) antennae with 17 segments; (vi) legs reduced or absent; (vii) anterior
spiracles located on body margin or on dorsum, and much larger than posterior spiracles; (viii)
canella (anterior spiracular furrow lined with pores) present or absent; (ix) ventral setae present,
usually short and scarce; (x) marginal duct clusters present; (xi) ventral duct clusters usually
present; (xii) spermatoid ducts present on both surfaces of body: on venter restricted generally to
marginal and submarginal areas and most abundant within each marginal duct cluster, and on
dorsum more-or-less widely distributed throughout, but usually with areas devoid of ducts, e.g.,
around dorsal spine, anal tubercle and brachial plates. Within a species, the body shape of the adult
female can vary considerably (see Takahashi (1941) for illustration of this variation in K. lacca),
depending on age and growth conditions.
The adult female resembles the second-instar female, but differs as follows (character states of
second instar in parentheses if appropriate): (i) larger body size; (ii) with many more ducts and
pores; (iii) larger brachial plates; (iv) well developed brachia (absent in the second instar); (v)
almost always with a dorsal spine (absent or represented by a membranous lobe); and (vi)
perivulvar pores present in some taxa (always absent). Besides their smaller size, first-instar
nymphs are readily differentiated from subsequent instars by: (i) presence of one pair of very long
setae on the anal tubercle, each about half length of body; (ii) well developed antennae with 6
segments; (iii) cursorial legs; and (iv) lack of brachial plates and brachia (Misra, 1931; Miller,
1991; Kondo & Gullan, 2007).
Adult female: the resinous test
Typically the lac test is composed of a hard resin, although the test is described as sticky in
Austrotachardiella sexcordata Matile-Ferrero (Matile-Ferrero & Couturier, 1993). The tests of
many lac insect taxa dissolve in alcohol, whereas tests of other taxa, such as Paratachardina
species, do not dissolve (Varshney, 1984). The tendency for some tests to dissolve more
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Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies
readily than others may have lead to the idea that some tests are gum-like and pliable, but there is
no comparative study of lac insect tests, and the chemistry of very few tests have been studied. The
test greatly varies in shape and color, and often the tests of crowded individuals fuse to form a
single mass. The test of a single individual may be unlobed and rounded, or with 36 marginal
lobes. The surface of the test may be smooth or with a series of longitudinal ridges, and often
various bumps or elevations may be present. According to Green (1922), the shape of the insect
body can be reflected in the shape of its test.
Lac tests vary from dull brown or dark, to various tones of red or orange, although species with
greenish or yellowish colors also exist. Each test is usually of a single colour, but some species may
have characteristic color patterns, e.g., Paratachardina decorella (Maskell).
Adult female: cuticular structure
Dorsum. The derm is always membranous, and without visible segmentation. Dorsal setae
(dset) generally are short and scarce, but usually are present around the body margin and often there
are a few around the dorsal spine and dorsal tubercle. One of the most distinctive features of lac
insects is a pair of brachial plates (brpl), each often elevated on a membranous to sclerotized,
tubular protrusion called a brachium (br) [see Lit (2002a) for a discussion of other terms used for
this structure]. Characteristics of the brachium and brachial plate have been used extensively for
distinguishing species within genera (e.g., Chamberlin, 1923; Varshney, 1977; Kondo & Gullan,
2007) and for separating some genera (Chamberlin, 1923; Zhang, 1992; Kondo & Gullan, 2005).
Each brachial plate is heavily sclerotized, and depending on species, can vary in shape from round,
triangular, quadrate to irregular in outline, and may be flat or have a shallow or deep crater, or an
elevated protrusion. Each plate bears brachial pores, brachial plate setae and pseudospines, the
number of which can be informative for separating some species of Paratachardina (Kondo &
Gullan, 2007), although variation within a species can confound taxonomic utility. Brachial pores
usually have 5 loculi and are similar in structure to spiracular pores and canellar pores. A
pseudospine is a specialized type of multilocular pore that resembles a seta or spine when viewed
from the side, but a pore with 5 (rarely 3, 4 or 6 loculi) when viewed from above (Chamberlin,
1923; Lit 2002a,b). In the first-instar nymphs, the homologous structures are hollow spines located
in the anterior spiracular cleft and in the pseudocerarii (Miller, 1991). The brachia either can be
absent, very short (sessile) or very long. Typically, the base of each brachium is associated closely
with one of the large anterior spiracles; secretions from the brachial plate are believed to keep the
spiracular openings of the test from being sealed over by the resin of the test (Chamberlin, 1923).
The dorsum is characterised by the presence of another unique structure, the dorsal spine (dspi),
which is absent only in Tachardina albida Cockerell (Chamberlin, 1923). This conical, hollow
spine is located anterior to the anal tubercle, and its apex probably always has an opening that
connects to an internal duct, called the dorsal spine duct. The duct length and structure varies
greatly among species, but ducts usually are divided into two types: (i) the dendritic type is most
common and is quite branched throughout its entire length, as in Austrotachardiella colombiana
Kondo & Gullan (Fig. 1A) and K. lacca (Fig. 2); and (ii) the non-dendritic (= fibrous) type
is only known in Austrotachardia Chamberlin and is unbranched throughout its length,
either ending on a swollen or a branched apex as in A. melaleucae (Maskell) (Fig. 1B)
(Lit, 2001a). The dorsal spine is often elevated on a
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Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies
membranous tube, called the pedicel, that can be very short or absent, or very long and slender as in
Albotachardina species. The function of the dorsal spine and its duct is unknown (see Lit 2002a for
discussion of previous hypotheses), but any hypothesis must be able to account for lack of
development of the dorsal spine in first- and second-instar nymphs (the latter are collected rarely
and probably short-lived).
Figure 1. A, dorsal spine and dendritic spine duct of the adult female of Austrotachardiella
colombiana Kondo & Gullan; B, dorsal spine and non-dendritic spine duct of the adult female of
Austrotachardia melaleucae (Maskell); C, duplex type of marginal duct cluster as in Tachardiella
species; D, triplex type of marginal duct cluster as in Austrotachardiella species; E, marginal duct
cluster with two associated auxiliary clusters as in Afrotachardina brachysetosa (Chamberlin); F,
typical macroduct of Austrotachardiella species.
The anal tubercle (at) is another characteristic feature of lac insects, although in some members of
the Coccidae that have a thick waxy covering, such as Ceroplastes Gray, the area surrounding the
anal plates can be highly sclerotized and of a tubular shape somewhat similar to that seen in the
Kerriidae. In lac insects, the anal tubercle is the posterior sclerotized prolongation of the body that
bears the pre-anal plate (papl) (in some groups), the supra-anal plate (spanpl), the anal fringe and
the anal ring (Fig. 2). The anal fringe (af) is a series of ligulate lobes at the apex of the anal tubercle
encircling the anal ring. The anal ring of kerriids may be divided into 4, 6 or more distinct sections
or it can be entire (unsegmented) or show partial segmentation, and it always has 10 setae and
usually an irregular row of pores. Some species of Paratachardina and Tachardina Cockerell have
pygidial apodemes, which are variably sclerotized internal rods or processes that extend from the
base of the supra-anal plate posteroventrally. Chamberlin (1923:158) incorrectly stated that these
apodemes extended to "caudad of the dorsal spine". They probably function as rigid
attachments for muscles that move the anal tubercle or its components.
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Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies
Figure 2. Kerria lacca (Kerr), young adult female (see text for abbreviations).
Microducts are either more or less scattered evenly throughout dorsum, or present only around
the margins and submargins, and often there are fewer or absent around the anal tubercle, anterior
spiracles, brachial plates and dorsal spine (Fig. 2). Microducts of the Kerriidae resemble the typical
coccid ventral microduct, with a subcircular duct opening and short terminal gland. Spermatoid
ducts (spd) (= spermatozooid ducts), which are unique to lac insects, are long thread-like ducts with
a greatly swollen area at the inner end distal from the duct opening (Fig. 2). These ducts may occur
singly on the derm or, in some genera, associated with the rim of microducts, and may contribute to
the resin of the lac test. For a discussion of the naming of this duct, see Kondo & Gullan (2007).
The Margin. Unlike most other scale insects, the margins of lac insects are poorly defined and,
in many species, it is hard to differentiate the dorsum from the venter after the adult female
becomes mature and fully expanded (e.g. K. lacca). However, it is possible to locate the marginal
areas by the presence of short setae or by the distribution of marginal duct clusters (mdc). The
presence of mdcs is another distinctive characteristic of lac insects. Marginal duct clusters are
subcircular to irregular clusters of microducts and / or macroducts
and / or spermatoid ducts present around the body margin, usually on the venter, but
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Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies
sometimes apparently on the dorsum (e.g. K. lacca). In Afrotachardina Chamberlin, mdcs have two
closely associated auxiliary clusters of microducts (Fig. 1E). The typical microducts of most lac
insects can be characterised arbitrarily as small-sized, medium-sized (msm) or large-sized (lsm) (Fig.
2). The structure of the different size classes of microducts generally are the same, however, in the
New World genera Austrotachardiella Chamberlin and Tachardiella Cockerell, there are large-
sized ducts, called macroducts (Kondo & Gullan 2005, 2007), of a different structure to the smaller
microducts. Macroducts have a cylindrical shape with a long and slender tail that splits near its end
(Fig. 1F). The presence or absence, sizes, and combination of microducts, macroducts and
spermatoid ducts in the mdcs can be useful features for identification at both the genus and species
level. For example, the number of macroducts per marginal duct cluster is useful in separating
species of Austrotachardiella and Tachardiella (Chamberlin 1923; Kondo & Gullan 2005).
Chamberlin (1923) describes a series of types of marginal duct clusters. His simplex mdc consists
of ducts of one size and structure, as in K. lacca (Fig. 2), his duplex mdc contains ducts of two
types or sizes but with many variants of duct structure, whereas the triplex type of mdc has three
kinds of ducts. In Tachardiella, duplex mdcs are composed of macroducts and spermatoid ducts
only (Fig. 1C), whereas Austrotachardiella species have triplex mdcs composed of macroducts,
spermatoid ducts and an outer narrow band of microducts (Fig. 1D). Chamberlin's classification
into simplex, duplex and triplex mdcs fails to consider the homologies of duct types. For example,
the name duplex mdc would be applied to an mdc with large central and small outer microducts, as
well as to a mdc composed of macroducts and spermatoid ducts. Furthermore, Chamberlin (1923)
confusingly refers to the central larger ducts of any type of mdc as "nuclear ducts", and to all other
ducts in a cluster as "duplex ducts" (meaning secondary ducts), regardless of structure. The nature
and function(s) of secretions from mdcs are unknown, but the secretions must contribute to the lac
test.
The Venter. The derm is membranous, with segmentation sometimes visible on medial areas
of the thorax and abdomen. Microtrichia are often present in segmental transverse rows in these
areas, and usually a few setae (vset) are present on each of these segments. The antennae (ant) are
always present and have 17 segments, although the segmentation is often poorly defined. Antennal
position may vary from slightly anterolateral to the mouthparts, to near the body margin lateral to
the mouthparts (as in Paratachardina), or displaced onto the dorsal surface of the head. The
mouthparts of lac insects have a labium of 12 segments and generally 56 pairs of labial setae
(Koteja 1974). In some taxa, there are one or two pairs of membranous, often slightly sclerotized
lobes surrounding the mouthparts. The lobes posterior to the mouthparts are called the post-oral
lobes (pol) (Chamberlin 1923) and more anterior lobes, if present, are called the pre-oral lobes (prl)
(Kondo & Gullan 2007). In the Kerriidae, as in all neococcoid scale insects, there are two pairs of
thoracic spiracles and no abdominal spiracles. The anterior spiracles (antsp) of the adult female may
be located either marginally or on the dorsum and always are larger than the posterior spiracles
(postsp), which are present typically on the venter (Fig. 2). The multilocular pores present
surrounding the spiracular peritreme are called spiracular pores (spp) (vignette Fig. 2). These pores
mostly have 5 loculi and are similar in structure to canellar pores and brachial pores. The term
canella (plural canellae) was coined by MacGillivray (1921) for the spiracular furrow
of scale insects, but was adopted later (Chamberlin, 1923) for the linear group of
multilocular pores [canellar pores (canp)] between the anterior spiracles and
mouthparts, or between the anterior and posterior spiracles as in some
Tachardiella species. Recently Kondo & Gullan (2007) expanded the definition to
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Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies
include the multilocular pores present between the anterior spiracles and brachial plates in
Paratachardina.
Multilocular pores found around the vulva are called perivulvar (= perivaginal) pores (pvp),
and are found generally within perivulvar (= perivaginal) pore clusters (pvpc), although they may
occur singly (as in Tachardina species). Perivulvar pore clusters can be absent entirely in some
genera (e.g. Austrotachardia and Paratachardina), or range from 4 in Tachardiella and
Austrotachardiella to 1850 in Kerria. Microducts usually vary in size within a species (as
described for the dorsum), but microducts scattered on the derm often are smaller than those in the
marginal and ventral duct clusters. The ventral duct clusters (vdc) are subcircular to irregular-
shaped clusters of microducts present submarginally or submedially around the ventral body, and
often lie parallel to the marginal duct clusters. The number of pairs of vdcs and the number of
microducts per cluster are useful for separating species of some genera, e.g. Paratachardina
(Kondo & Gullan 2007). Spermatoid ducts, similar to those on the dorsum, usually are present
marginally and submarginally on the derm but are most abundant within each marginal duct cluster
and often also within the ventral duct clusters, and generally are absent from medial areas of the
venter.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Peter Cranston and Dug Miller for helpful comments on a draft of the manuscript. This
work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (Partnership for Enhancing Expertise
in Taxonomy program, under Grant No. 0118718) and by Hatch funding from the California
Agricultural Experiment Station.
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To be cited as: Gullan, P.J. & Kondo, T. 2008. The morphology of lac insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae) 6370 In:
Branco, M., Franco, J.C. & Hodgson, C.J. (Editors), Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies,
Oeiras, Portugal, 2427 September 2007. ISA Press, Lisbon, Portugal. 322 pp. *THIS COPY IS NOT AN ORIGINAL.
... Special features of the specimen are enlarged to the side of the main illustration, although enlargements are not in direct proportion to each other. The terms used to describe the lac insects follow those of Gullan & Kondo (2009). Marginal duct clusters (mdc) in the New World genera Austrotachardiella and Tachardiella can be separated into simplex, duplex and triplex types. ...
... Duplex mdc are found in Tachardiella, and we believe that Chamberlin's suggestion that some species might have simplex mdc was due to the difficulty of seeing spermatoid ducts in poor slide-mounts. Duplex mdc are composed of macroducts and spermatoid ducts only, whereas Austrotachardiella species have triplex mdc composed of macroducts, spermatoid ducts and an outer narrow band of microducts (Kondo & Gullan 2005, Gullan & Kondo 2009). A key to the adult females of New World kerriids was compiled using mostly published keys and descriptions, i.e., Kondo & Gullan (2005) for Austrotachardiella, Gullan & Kondo (2009) for Kerria lacca (Kerr), for Paratachardina pseudolobata and mostly Chamberlin (1923) for Tachardiella. ...
... Duplex mdc are composed of macroducts and spermatoid ducts only, whereas Austrotachardiella species have triplex mdc composed of macroducts, spermatoid ducts and an outer narrow band of microducts (Kondo & Gullan 2005, Gullan & Kondo 2009). A key to the adult females of New World kerriids was compiled using mostly published keys and descriptions, i.e., Kondo & Gullan (2005) for Austrotachardiella, Gullan & Kondo (2009) for Kerria lacca (Kerr), for Paratachardina pseudolobata and mostly Chamberlin (1923) for Tachardiella. Specimens of Tachardiella species deposited at the Bohart Museum of Entomology were studied for comparison and for testing of the key (see individual species entries for details of specimens studied). ...
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The lac insect genus Tachardiella Cockerell is reviewed and 17 species are recognized, including one new species. The adult female of Tachardiella palobrea Kondo & Gullan sp. n. is described and illustrated based on material collected in Argentina on 'brea', Parkinsonia praecox (Fabaceae). The adult female of Tachardiella argentina (Dominguez) is redescribed and a lectotype is designated based on newly discovered syntype material in the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis (BME). Diagnoses and notes are provided for the other species of Tachardiella studied and a lectotype is designated for Tachardiella ferrisi Chamberlin. A taxonomic key to separate all known species of lac insects in the New World is provided.
... However, there is lack of knowledge on the bionomics of T. aurantiaca. In fact, scale insects of the family Kerriidae are generally poorly understood and species diversity may be underestimated (Gullan & Kondo 2008) except for the commercially valuable Indian lac scale, Kerria lacca. Although the yellow lac scale is not a serious pest in Peninsular Malaysia, this study is critical as a source of reference to researchers studying the biological control of this pest. ...
... However, in general, lac insect females have three instars, namely, the first-instar nymph (crawler stage), second-instar nymph and the adult female. The males, if present, have five instars, namely, firstinstar nymph, second-instar nymph, prepupa, pupa and adult male (Gullan & Kondo 2008). The development and survival of scale insects are sometimes influenced by their host plants. ...
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Studies were conducted on the development and reproduction of Tachardina aurantiaca in Peninsular Malaysia. Crawler-producing females were collected from Acacia auriculiformis (Fabaceae) in Klang and Millettia pinnata (Fabaceae) in Taman Ehsan, Selangor Malaysia. The crawlers were reared on 30-60 cm high plants of an Acacia sp. and 20-30 cm plants of M. pinnata, raised in 10 cm × 10 cm black polybags. The breeding room was maintained at 27-32 °C, 60-80% relative humidity and a photoperiod of L12:D12. Males required 40.1 to 41.7 days to complete their life cycle from crawler to winged adult, whereas females took 87.6 to 98.3 days. The number of crawlers produced per female increased remarkably with increase in female body size (measured as diameter) with r 2 = 0.59 (p < 0.05). Larger field-collected females with an average diameter of 3.5 mm produced a mean of 323.6 crawlers per female, whereas laboratory-reared females with a body size of 2.5 mm only produced a mean of 122.6 crawlers per female.
... Network Project on Conservation of Lac Insect Genetic ResourcesAlphabetical Index(Valid scientific names only) Network Project on Conservation of Lac Insect Genetic ResourcesTachardina 2,3,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]50,51,53,54,55 Bibliography (Publications of the year 1980 onwards) phylogenetic relationships among 7 species of lac insects (Homoptera: Tachardiidae). Forest Res., 21, (5):599-604. ...
... This family includes nine genera and 90 species (Varshney, 2009), of which 21 species, based on the characters of the antennae, brachia, brachial plate, dimples, marginal duct clusters, star pores and supra-anal plate, belong to the genus Kerria Targioni-Tozzetti, and are currently placed in two subgenera, viz., Kerria and Chamberliniella (Varshney, 1984). The taxonomy of this genus is known from the monographs and supplement by Chamberlin (1923) and subsequently through the papers of Kapur (1958), Varshney (1976), Gullan & Kondo (2009), Wang et al., (1982) and Zhang (1993). In this paper, three new species of Kerria from India are described and illustrated with line drawings and scanning electron microscopic images. ...
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Three new species of lac insect, Kerria Targioni-Tozzetti viz., Kerria manipurensis Ahmad & Ramamurthy sp. nov., Kerria maduraiensis Ahmad & Ramamurthy sp. nov., and Kerria thrissurensis Ahmad & Ramamurthy sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Kerria yunnanensis Ou & Hong is illustrated and redescribed, and a key to the known species of Kerria is provided. The usefulness of star pores as a diagnostic character in the subgeneric divisions of Kerria is also discussed.
... Lac-dye is a natural red dye used in works of art and obtained from lac-insects. These insects are part of the Kerriidae family, comprising nine genera and approximately 90 described species [12]. Lac-dye is obtained from female insects of two genera: Kerria and Paratachardina. ...
... The description format and the terms used to describe the lac insect follow those used by Kondo and Gullan (2007) and Gullan and Kondo (2009). For example, the different size classes of microducts observed are divided into large-sized, medium-sized and small-sized microducts based on the relative size of the microduct rim on the cuticular surface. ...
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A new species of lac insect, Paratachardina javanensis Kondo and Gullan, sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae), is described and illustrated from a collection on Myrica rubra Siebold and Zucc. (also called Morella rubra Lour., Myricaceae) in West Java, Indonesia. This lac insect species is most similar morphologically to the pestiferous lobate lac scale, Paratachardina pseudolobata Kondo and Gullan. A comparison of the two species and an updated taxonomic key to all named Paratachardina species are provided.
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Lac insects are commercial scale insects with high economic value. The combined molecular phylogeny of 20 lac insect populations was generated using elongation factor 1 alpha, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene loci. The 20 populations of lac insects clustered into four distinct clades supported by high bootstrap values in maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Clade A at the base of the dendrogram comprises Kerria ruralis and two populations of Kerria lacca and is the branch with most primitive species. Clade B includes K. lacca, Kerria sindica and the three populations P, V and Z from India. They clustered with high bootstrap support and have evolved later than those in Clade A. The three unidentified populations P, V and Z exhibited a close relationship with K. lacca and are the same species. In Clade C, three populations of Kerria yunnanensis (Ym, Yj and Yl), population Ys from Thailand and population H from India clustered as a group, in which population H clustered with Ym with 100 % bootstrap in all three analysis methods. In Clade D, Kerria chinensis, Kerria pusana and three populations of K. yunnanensis clustered together with strong support, and are located in the upper branches of the dendrogram and are recently evolved taxa. The majority of populations from the Indian subcontinent clade are more closely related to outgroup taxa from the primitive family Pseudococcidae, as compared to the Eurasian populations. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the Indian subcontinent is the centre of original of lac insects which have translocated to the Eurasian Continent. Based on the theory of continental drift and existing fossil records, it is suggested that lac insect evolved from ancient scale insects during the late Cretaceous period when the Indian subcontinent drifted towards the Eurasian Continent. Changes in the global environment have impacted on the distribution and evolution of lac insects during the mid-Cretaceous and early Cenozoic. With increasing temperatures lac insects are likely to translocate to subtropical areas.
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A new lac insect pest, Austrotachardiella colombiana sp. n. (Kerriidae), is described and illustrated based on the adult female. This species was reported causing dieback on the twigs and branches of two cultivars of Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) in Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, Colombia. A revised taxonomic key to the genera of the family Kerriidae and an updated key to separate the species of Austrotachardiella Chamberlin is provided. No previous records of lac insects from Colombia were found.
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The genus Paratachardina Balachowsky (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae) is revised to include nine species: P. decorella (Maskell), P. minuta (Morrison), P. mithila Varshney, P. morobensis Williams & Watson, P. silvestri (Mahdihassan), P. ternata (Chamberlin), P. theae (Green), and two new species. Tachardina lobata Chamberlin (now P. lobata) is synonymized with Tachardia silvestri Mahdihassan (now P. silvestri), based on examination of type specimens. Paratachardina capsella Wang is transferred to Albotachardina Zhang as Albotachardina capsella (Wang) comb. nov. We provide a revised taxonomic key to the genera of the family Kerriidae and to all known species of the genus Paratachardina. All Paratachardina species are redescribed and illustrated with the exception of P. mithila. One of the new species described here is the polyphagous and pestiferous lobate lac scale, which damages trees and woody shrubs in Florida, U.S.A., the Bahamas and the territory of Christmas Island, Australia, and has been identified mistakenly as Paratachardina lobata (Chamberlin), an insect native to India and Sri Lanka. Here we recognize the lobate lac scale as a new species, name itParatachardina pseudolobata sp. nov. and describe it based on all stages of the female (adult, second instar and first instar). In addition, a second new species, P. mahdihassani sp. nov., is described based on adult females from India.
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The brachia, brachial plates, canellae, dorsal spine and post-oral lobes of adult female lac insects are described based on observations under SEM of Austrotachardia acaciae (Maskell), Austrotachardia sp. ex Cassinia, Kerria lacca (Kerr) and Paratachardina decorella (Maskell), and under light microscope of these and a few other species of lac insects. These structures, like the anal tubercle, are considered unique to the family Kerriidae. The canellae, brachia and brachial plates together may be considered homologous to the anterior stigmatic area, groove, cleft and other associated structures of Coccidae and related lecanoid scale insects. These structures collectively assist the mesothoracic spiracle in its function of gas exchange. The dorsal spine has possible secretory function while the post-oral lobes probably serve as anchor during vertical movement and balance. The dorsal spine and post-oral lobes appear to be autapomorphic features of lac insects. On the other hand, like the anal tubercle and its associated structures and the vestigial anal cleft, the brachia, brachial plates and canellae are probably homologous to morphological features found in Coccidae and other lecanoid scale insects. These homologies suggest common ancestry and possible sister-group relationship between the Kerriidae and Coccidae or another closely related family. The details of these morphological structures as revealed by SEM not only provide new insights into homology or phylogenetic relationships but also facilitate interpretation of these characters under the light microscope.
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The wax- and resin-exuding cuticular pores and ducts of adult females of Austrotachardia acaciae (Maskell), Austrotachardia sp. ex Cassinia, Kerria lacca (Kerr) and Paratachardina decorella (Maskell) were examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM). These pores and ducts include the marginal and ventral duct clusters, perivaginal pore clusters, pores near or around the spiracles, canellae and brachial plates, spermatozooid ducts and ducts associated with the dorsal spine. Their structures are redescribed based on new details revealed by SEM. The perisetal micropores on the anal ring are also reviewed. The quinquelocular nature of many of the pores, despite their different names for different regions or body parts of lac insects, strongly suggest homology with similar pores of Coccidae and related families. They, therefore, provide additional evidence of common ancestry with the lecanoids, in addition to facilitating interpretation of these characters under the light microscope. The need for future studies utilizing transmission electron microscopy is recommended to identify the secretory cells and tissues associated with these pores and ducts, especially the dorsal spine.
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Family Tachardiidae Green, 1896, is revised. Taxonomic characters of female, classification, nomenclature and distribution are discussed. Keys to subfamilies and genera and a check-list of world species are provided, reporting 8 genera (Kerria, Metatachardia, Tachardiella, Austrotachardiella, Austrotachardia, Tachardina, Afrotachardina and Paratachardina) and 71 species. Lac insects of India belong to 2 genera, Kerria and Paratachardina. Seventeen species and subspecies of Kerria are dealt with, of which 3 are new (brancheata, chamberlini and nepalensis). Two others (chinensis and mysorensis) have been redescribed. K. longispina has been synony-mized with chinensis. Four species (ambigua, jhansiensis, kydia and mysorensis) are treated as subspecies. K. rangoonensis is reported from Indian limits for the first time. Five species of Paratachardina are treated, of which one is new (mithila) and another one (silvestrii) redescribed. Keys to Indian species of both genera are provided. Remaining Oriental genera and species are also treated. They include 7 species, 4 of Kerria including a new subspecies (K. lacca takahashii) from Thailand, and redescription of sindica from Pakistan. Three other species are: Paratachardina minuta from Philippines, Metatachardia conchiferata from Sri Lanka (= Ceylon), and Tachardina aurantiaca from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Lectotypes and paralectotypes have been designated for 3 species (K. sindica, K. I. mysorensis and P. silvestrii).
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A new genus, Albotachardina, gen. nov. (Family Tachardiidae) and two new species, A. yunnanensis, sp. nov. and A. sinensis, sp. nov. are described from Yunnan, China occurring on Ficus benjamina L. and Ficus obtusifolia L. The syntype specimens are deposited in the Institute of Lac, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, P. R. China.
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Three new species of Metatachardia Chamberlin viz., M. sinensis, M. hunanensis and M. fukienensis and one new species of Kerria Targioni-Tozzetti viz., K. mengdingensis from southwest China are described and figured . The type specimens are deposited in the Institute of Lac, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming.