AURO-The-Natural-Choice-for-daily-Life-04.2019

SHELLAC THE RESINOUS SUBSTANCE OF THE SMALL LAC INSECT Until the early 1960s, shellac was used to produce gram- ophone records. Nowadays it is still used for many pur- poses, e.g. in polishes, for the conservation and care of wooden furniture, or in medicinal compounds. The female lac insect is only one to two mm in size but plays a vital role when it comes to winning shellac. She taps the twig bark of the butea gum tree or other species and processes the plant juice into a resinous substance that is called lac. The lac insect Kerria lacca lives on the butea gum tree, poplars and other species on the Indian subcontinent. The scale insects are bred on the lush, young shoots of the tree so they can feed on its sap. The female members of the col- ony-forming animals tap the bark of the twigs and take up s u b - stantial amount s of the plant sap that is also called phloem sap. The sap of the host plant is processed and then exuded as a secretion that forms a sta- ble encrustation on the twig surface. The resinous layer also protects the breed of the insects from extreme temper- atures and from natural enemies. The harvest takes place twice a year. The twigs with the lacquer, also known as stick lac, get cut off and the resin is separated from the leaves. After repeated washing and remelting, the lac is Shellac is used for the production of lacquers that are particu- larly suited for violins and plucked musical instruments. 38