Shellac, dye and wax

Some other members of the Coccoidea produce waxy secretions that are collected, concentrated, and used for a variety of purposes. These waxes have several names, including Chinese insect wax and Japanese insect wax. Both lac and insect wax are produced largely in China, India, and southeast Asia. 

Cochineal is the name used for red dye made from either the lac insects mentioned previously, or from related insects that parasitize prickly pear and other cactus species in Mexico and Central America. These insects are all small, and it takes about 70,000 of them to produce 1 pound of cochineal. 

The tissue of some mollusks can be used to produce rich and intense dyes. Purple, red, and blue dyes are historically the most popular products of these invertebrates, almost all of which are members of the Muricidae, the murex family of marine snails. 

Beeswax is the compound made by bees to form their structural nests. Many species of bees produce wax, but most commercially produced beeswax is made by Apis mellifera, the common honeybee. Ghedda is a general term for wax produced by other types of bees, particularly those from Asia. 

The wax is created by young bees who secrete it from glands on their abdomens. The insect scrapes the small platelets of wax off and chews them into a soft mass, adding enzymes and moisture. The masticated wax is added to the comb, and chewed into place. 

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