Lac Insect vs Seychelles Stag Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lac Insect Seychelles Stag Beetle
Scientific Name Kerria lacca Didimus seychellensis
Order Hemiptera Coleoptera
Family Kerriidae Lucanidae
Size 1-3 mm 2-3 cm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Detritivores
Regions Asia Seychelles
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Lac Insect

Produces lac resin — the raw material for shellac, used in wood finishes, food glazing, and pharmaceutical coatings. One of the few insects commercially farmed for a secretion.

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Did You Know?

It takes roughly 300,000 lac insects to produce 1 kg of shellac — the coating on your shiny chocolate candy or pharmaceutical pill likely came from these tiny bugs.

Seychelles Stag Beetle

A stag beetle endemic to the granitic islands of the Seychelles. It lives in decaying wood in native palm forests.

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Did You Know?

The Seychelles granitic islands are fragments of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.