Q.Which of the statement regarding Lac insect is TRUE?
a. A microscopic, resinous crawling scale insect
b. Inserts its proboscis into plant tissue suck juices and grows
c. Secretes lac from the hind end of body.
d. The male lac insect is responsible for large scale production of lac.
You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.
Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Step 1. Recall the lac insect's (Kerria/Laccifer lacca) life cycle. Eggs hatch into tiny, mobile, six-legged 'crawlers' that move over the host twig to find a suitable feeding site. Once settled, the insect becomes sessile, inserts its needle-like proboscis (stylet) into the plant tissue, and continuously sucks plant sap while it grows and moults; only after settling does it begin secreting the resinous lac that eventually encases it.
Step 2. Evaluate option (a). Calling the insect a 'resinous... crawling scale insect' conflates two different life stages — the insect is mobile and not yet resin-covered while crawling; the resinous coating only forms after it settles down at a fixed feeding site. So this statement mixes up sequential stages and is not accurate as a single description.
Step 3. Evaluate option (b). This matches Step 1 exactly: after settling, the lac insect inserts its proboscis into the plant tissue, sucks the sap, and grows — a straightforwardly correct statement.
Step 4. Evaluate option (c). Lac resin is secreted from cuticular glands distributed over the ENTIRE body surface of the settled (mainly female) insect, not specifically from its 'hind end' — so this statement is incorrect. …
Unlock everything free for 14 days
- Full step-by-step solutions
- Concept-first explanations
- Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
- PYQ mapping + timed mock tests
Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.