Gullan, P.J., & Kondo, T. 2008 The morphology of lac insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae). Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies, Oeiras, Portugal, 24-27 September 2007. ISA Press Lisbon, Portugal 322 pp.

Notes: 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.