Furry mammals are the most common animals that Humans have domesticated. The first pet dogs (about 15,000 years ago), then cats (about 8000 years ago), and the many diverse farm animals around the world changed the course of human history. Strangely, insects are the most common animal on Earth and yet so few have been domesticated. If you think about it hard enough, it is not long before you indicate ‘bees’ as a domesticated insect, where humans have learned to build artificial hives and use smoke to control bees to produce honey and beeswax. Silk moths will come to mind if you think about it a little longer. But then a person has real difficulty identifying other domesticated insects. Scale insects are the third example of domesticated insects. About 8000 species of scale insects are known, classified in the Superfamily Coccoidea (Order Hemiptera or true bugs). Scales are sexually dimorphic with neotenous females and short-lived winged males. They secrete a waxy coat, resembling scales, that act as a physical defense. Scale insects are plant parasites and many are serious pests of plants. But a few genera are economically valuable, as the sources of cochineal, Chinese wax, shellac and lacquer. Chinese wax is harvested from species of the Chinese genus Cerplastes and the Indian genus Ericerus and manufactured into polishes and candles. Shellac and lacquer are the resinous secretion of Lac insects and are used as a wood finish, to give an amber-colored, matte, or glossy appearance (think high-gloss Asian wood furniture). Cochineal, under various names in Asia, Europe and the Neotropics, are derived from several genera and species of scale insects and produce the red dyes that are also edible (and widely used in the food industry). While one of my research projects is looking at cochineal cultures in Peru, I can’t help but wonder about the earliest domestications, evolution of animal husbandry, and large-scale farming practices around these tiny insects. I spent the afternoon with a friend from India, watching Youtube videos of lac farming in northern India. She was astonished to learn about the complex practice around insects in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. There is even an Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums (IINRG) in Ranchi, Jharkhand that works with indigenous farmers to improve their farming methods and produce more high-quality lac. India is the biggest producer of lac, while the USA is the largest user. Cool stuff!
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