First record of the lac-producing species Kerrianepalensis Varshney (Hemiptera, Kerriidae) from China, with a key to Chinese species

Lac insects include astonishing species responsible for lac production. Lac is composed of resins, dyes, and shellac wax with significant economic importance. Previously, 11 species of the genus Kerria were reported from China, with the highest species diversity in Yunnan province. Another lac-producing species of the genus Kerria, namely Kerrianepalensis Varshney, is recorded for the first time in Yunnan province, China, on Dalbergiacochinchinensis Pierre ex Laness. (Fabaceae), a new host plant. In addition, a key to the 12 Kerria species recorded in China is also given.

Genetic variation among species, races, forms and inbred lines of lac insects belonging to the genus Kerria (Homoptera, Tachardiidae)

The lac insects (Homoptera: Tachardiidae), belonging to the genus Kerria, are commercially exploited for the production of lac. Kerria lacca is the most commonly used species in India. RAPD markers were used for assessing genetic variation in forty-eight lines of Kerria, especially among geographic races, infrasubspecific forms, cultivated lines, inbred lines, etc., of K. lacca. In the 48 lines studied, the 26 RAPD primers generated 173 loci, showing 97.7% polymorphism. By using neighbor-joining, the dendrogram generated from the similarity matrix resolved the lines into basically two clusters and outgroups. The major cluster, comprising 32 lines, included mainly cultivated lines of the rangeeni form, geographic races and inbred lines of K. lacca. The second cluster consisted of eight lines of K. lacca, seven of the kusmi form and one of the rangeeni from the southern state of Karnataka. The remaining eight lines formed a series of outgroups, this including a group of three yellow mutant lines of K. lacca and other species of the Kerria studied, among others. Color mutants always showed distinctive banding patterns compared to their wild-type counterparts from the same population. This study also adds support to the current status of kusmi and rangeeni, as infraspecific forms of K. lacca.