Wine Red Natural Dyes

Kerria Lacca is specie of insect in the family Kerriidae, the lac insects. Lac dye was derived from the dried bodies of the East Indian insect, Dactylopins coccus. After the insect bodies had formed a thick gummy red coating on the twigs, the twigs are broken off and sun dried to kill the insects. Lac dye is the scarlet pigment present in the live, pre-emergent insects (Laccifer Lacca/Kerria Lacca) which develops in a resinous coccon, known as “stickler”. It is widely known for secreting lac, a commercially important scarlet substance that is used for dyeing wool and silk, and also used in cosmetic industry  and  medicinal drug. Kerria lacca insects inhabit trees in colonies of thousands and secrete the resinous substance. Kerria lacca excreta are used as lac dye. This is a natural red dye and is produced by washing the raw stick lac by water and then precipitating the filtered wash liquor with acid.