''Kermes'' is a genus of

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than th ...

s in the order

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from to arou ...

. They feed on the sap of evergreen oaks; the females produce a red

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...

, also called " kermes", that is the source of natural

crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, '' Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red co ...

. The word "kermes" is derived from Persian or Turkish ''qirmiz'' or ''kirmizi'' ( قرمز), "crimson" (both the colour and the dyestuff). There are some 20 species, including: * '' Kermes bacciformis'' Leonardi, 1908 * '' Kermes corticalis'' (Nassonov, 1908) * '' Kermes echinatus'' (Balachowsky, 1953) * '' Kermes gibbosus'' Signoret, 1875 * '' Kermes ilicis'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Kermes roboris'' (Fourcroy, 1785) * '' Kermes vermilio'' Planchon, 1864

References

External links

Conservation and Art Material Encyclopedia Online
Kermesidae Sternorrhyncha genera {{Coccoidea-stub