Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science revealed that the red lac pigment, traditionally attributed to lac insects, is actually produced by a symbiotic fungus—vertically transmitted via eggs—that supplies genes for key enzymes lacking in the insect. Fungicide treatment reduced both pigment and insect development, highlighting the fungus’s essential role. Published in PNAS, the study shifts our understanding of insect–fungus partnerships and opens new research avenues into microbial contributions to insect physiology.

Source: Times of India. indiatimes.com