Kermes (genus)

Kermes
Kermes echinatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamily: Coccoidea
Family: Kermesidae
Genus: Kermes
Latreille, 1798
Species

See text

Kermes is a genus of scale insects in the order Hemiptera. They feed on the sap of evergreen oaks; the females produce a red dye, also called "kermes", that is the source of natural crimson.[1] The word "kermes" is derived from Arabic/Persian qirmiz (قرمز), which means "red" or "crimson" (probably via Middle Persian, from (ultimately) Sanskrit कृमिज kṛmi-ja meaning "worm-made"[2]).

There are six species:

References

  1. Naturenet article with images and description of Kermes vermilio and its foodplant
  2. American Heritage Dictionary s.v. Kermes, also Kluge, "Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache", s.v. Karmesin, et al.

External links



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