polish polish known polish scales scale insect produce crimson colloquially known blood larvae parasites living roots herbs especially perennial growing sandy soils parts development synthetic insect great economic importance use decline introduction mexican europe 16th century biology life cycle mid july female polish lays approximately eggs white ground larvae hatch late august early september leave egg case remain inside end winter late march early april larvae emerge ground feed short time low growing leaves host plant returning underground feed plant roots point larvae undergo legs antennae forming outer protective root tissues small dark red violet bubbles host plant roots female millimetres diameter males half size female counterparts smaller number male females undergo number times male reaches developmental stage forms delicate white transforms early june late june early july females retain form emerge ground slowly climb host plant wait winged adult males characteristic end leave join days later male adult insects feed die shortly mating female counterparts return underground lay eggs female insects shrink die host plants geographic distribution polish lives plants growing sandy arid soils primary host plant perennial known feed plants genera including mouse ear velvet bent smooth insect commonly found recognised france england china mainly common industrial use economically viable excessive economic exploitation degradation habitat polish rare species included ukrainian red book endangered species poland common 1960s insufficient data determine conservation status protective measures place history developed method obtaining red larvae polish despite labor intensive process harvesting relatively modest yield continued highly sought popular alternative middle ages superseded mexican 16th century production similar red obtained scale insects red coloring derived acid traces acid polish acid content approximately insect dried body weight insects harvested shortly female larvae reached maturity late june usually saint john baptist day june folk blood harvesting process involved host plant picking female larvae averaging approximately insects plant poland including present day ukraine europe plantations operated order deal high toll host plants larvae killed boiling water dried sun oven ground dissolved light beer called order remove fat extract silk wool cotton process requires roughly pound kilogram silk pound color pounds kilogram wool trade polish widely traded europe middle ages renaissance 15th 16th centuries grain timber salt poland chief exports mainly southern germany northern italy france england ottoman_empire armenia poland trade jewish merchants bought peasants regions poland lithuania merchants shipped major polish cities merchandise exported frankfurt venice destinations polish trade lucrative business according pound polish cost venetian pounds terms quantities trade reached peak stones metric tons sold advent cheaper mexican led abrupt slump polish trade saw steep decline quantities red exported poland polish disappeared customs registry clerk noted longer paid perennial plantations replaced fields raising cattle polish export product continued locally peasants collected employed fabric ingredient folk medicine decorative coloring horses tails poland end 18th century vast markets russia opened polish export product time east 19th century principal polish trading center shipped afghanistan possible polish manufacture famous oriental studies earliest known scientific study polish found polish described small red seeds grow plant roots april little bug emerges june scientific comments non polish authors written wrote translated english century major treatise insect including results research physiology life cycle polish biologist wrote polish monograph taking account insect biology historical role historical importance polish reflected modern slavic languages words color red month june derive slavic probably pronounced meaning worm examples table czech language old bulgarian true june july months harvest insect larvae possible modern polish word june polish host plant perennial
Polish cochineal