Kermes (insect)

Kermes is a genus of scale insects in the order Hemiptera. They feed on the sap of evergreen oaks; the females produce a red dye, also called "kermes", that is the source of natural crimson. The word "kermes" is derived from Arabic/Persian qirmiz (قرمز), which means "red" or "crimson" (probably via Middle Persian, from (ultimately) Sanskrit कृमिज kṛmi-jā meaning "worm-made"American Heritage Dictionary s.v. Kermes, also Kluge, "Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache", s.v. Karmesin, et al.).

There are six species:

• Kermes bacciformis Leonardi, 1908
• Kermes corticalis (Nassonov, 1908)
• Kermes gibbosus Signoret, 1875
• Kermes ilicis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Kermes roboris (Fourcroy, 1785)
• Kermes vermilio Planchon, 1864

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