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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-ja meaning "worm-made").
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