20 
Indian Forest Records. 
[ VoL. I. 
CHAPTER VII. 
ENEMIES OF LAC. 
The lac insect has to contend against enemies of various kinds, the 
chief among which are animals, insects, fungi, natural influences, forest 
fires, and man. 
(а) Animals. 
Both birds and monkeys prey upon the lac insect. The former 
feed upon the young larvse when swarming and after they have come 
to rest upon the twigs and before the shell -covering has formed to shelter 
them. Monkeys feed upon the sweet incrustation. 
[б) Insects. 
These are of two kinds. 
(1) Insects not directly predaceous upon the lac insect 
Ants of various species swarm upon the lac incrustations to lick up 
the sweet excrement exuded by the insect. They do not prey upon or 
feed upon the insect itself, but often nip off the ends of the white filaments, 
doubtless merely with the object of getting them out of the way. Since 
the two anterior of these are in connection with the respiratory apparatus 
of the lac insect the latter is killed, the completion of the cell is stopped, 
and no eggs are laid by the insect.* When ants infest the lac-bearing 
* Since writing the above Mr. E. R. Stevens, Deputy Conservator, Kumaun Division, 
United Provinces, has forwarded the following account of the depredations of a black 
ant, identified as Camyonolus compressus, Fabr., on young lac larvae. 
The information was furnished by Ranger P. Shambhoo Dutt Joshi and is as 
follows : — 
T am sorry to report that ants (specimens enclosed) have appeared on the Arhor 
plants at Chorgalia and have eaten all the lac insects together with the little lac already 
prepared by them. The ants, I hear, always appear on lac plantations and especially 
do much damage with easterly winds.’ 
Mr. Stevens wrote : — ‘ A field of Arhor of 1 acre 30 poles was sov/n in November 
1906 and about one-third of the area was infected this year with seed lac on the 10th 
July when the Arhor was about 2 feet high. The insects swarmed well from the seed 
lac and the formation of new lac was progressing satisfactorily when the present plague 
of black ants ruined the whole experiment.’ 
It having been pointed out that present observations seemed to show that ants 
did not actually eat the insect but only cut the re.spiratory filaments whilst sucking 
