Phylogenetic study of Lac Insects of Kerria spp. using intron length polymorphism (EPIC-PCR)

Abstract

Lac insects belonging to Kerria species are the most commonly used species for commercial lac production. They are also harnessed for the production of lac dye and wax. Using five Exon Primed Intron Crossing (EPIC) PCR primers for Kerria spp., we studied the intra- and interspecific variation among a population of forty eight lac insect lines. The study separated K. chinensis from rest of the lines and also made differentiation between the infrasubspecific forms of K. lacca i.e., kusmi and rangeeni.