224 INSECTS AND MAN 



and, more recently still, in the manufacture of gramophone 

 records. In India itself this useful product is largely used 

 as a varnish in the manufacture of painted pottery, and in 

 the manufacture of cheap bangles, toys, marbles, imitation 

 fruit and flowers, etc. 



The newly hatched larva of the lac insect (fig. 58, c) is 

 orange red in colour and elliptical in shape. Like other 

 similar larvae, it is six-legged and possesses two eyes and 

 a pair of antennae, whilst just behind the head are two 

 white, powdery, hair-like filaments, and from the penulti- 

 mate segment of the abdomen two long hairs arise. 

 These little red insects crawl about over the trees for a 

 time, and then, after inserting their beaks in some of the 

 softer tissues, settle down to a resting period. Sap is 

 absorbed, and, as already mentioned, a secretion is exuded 

 which, on drying, forms the scale, the larger scales being 

 those of the females, and the smaller ones cover the males. 

 The object of these scales, in all insects of the family, is 

 probably protective, for, living a stationary life, they are 

 much more liable to attack than when moving about. The 

 female scales far outnumber those of the males, but both 

 sexes are so closely packed on the stems that the scales 

 fuse to form a thick incrustation. Although the scales 

 appear to be no more than reddish-brown wax to the 

 ordinary observer, structural changes are going on within 

 them, and in two and a half months from the time the 

 larvae appeared, the males, having reached maturity, push 

 up the lower edge of their scales and crawl out backwards. 

 In appearance (fig. 58, B) they somewhat resemble the larvae, 

 but are larger, have well-marked antennae, and four eyes 

 instead of two, whilst on the last abdominal segment there 

 is a beak-like, horny process. 



Immediately the males escape they crawl about over the 

 colony and mate with the females, which remain beneath 

 their scales. After pairing, the males die, but considerable 

 changes take place within the females (fig. 58, D and E) ; the 



