Editing Lac (resin) (section)

== Host trees ==
[[File:Pongamia pinnata.jpg|thumb|upright|Pongam or honge (''[[Millettia pinnata]]'') is a native of India and grows in profusion, generally planted as avenue trees by the forest department. It is renowned for its shade and is well known in traditional uses for its medicinal properties. It is also grown as a host plant for lac insects. The tree is also one of the food plants for common cerulean (''[[Jamides celeno]]'').]]

''Kerria lacca'' can be cultivated on either cultivated or wild host plants.
* In India the most common host plants are:
** Dhak (''[[Butea monosperma]]'')
** Ber (''[[Ziziphus mauritiana]]'')
** Kusum (''[[Schleichera oleosa]]'') (reported to give the best quality and yield)<ref>Iwasa, S, 1997. Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken. In Faridah Hanum, I. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (Eds.): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 11. Auxiliary Plants. Prosea Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. pp. 227-229.</ref>
* In Thailand the most common host plants are
** Rain tree (''[[Albizia saman]]'')
** Pigeon pea (''[[Cajanus cajan]]'')
* In China the common host plants include
** Pigeon pea (''[[Cajanus cajan]]'')
** [[Hibiscus]] species
* In Mexico
** Barbados nut (''[[Jatropha curcas]]'')

Estimated yields per tree in India are 6–10&nbsp;kg for [[kusum]], 1.5–6&nbsp;kg for [[Ziziphus mauritiana|ber]], and 1–4&nbsp;kg for [[Butea monosperma|dhak]].<ref name=FAO1995Ch5 /> The bugs' life cycles can produce two sticklac yields per year, though it may be better to rest for six months to let the host tree recover.<ref name=Derry2012Page28>{{cite web|last1=Derry|first1=Juliane|title=Investigating Shellac: Documenting the Process, Defining the Product|url=https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/10852/34480/Derry-Master.pdf|publisher=Project-Based Masters Thesis, University of Oslo|access-date=3 July 2014|page=28|year=2012}}</ref>