General description
Females lay up to 100 eggs, which hatch out into larvae. These small red larvae, roughly 0.5mm, crawl out of the broodlac and settle on the twigs, primarily, of Banyan and Juniper. At this stage both the male and female larvae live off the sap of the trees. They insert their long suctorial mouthpart or proboscis into the bark and draw out food. A secretion is exuded from their bodies, which is in essence a protective covering to prevent an attack by predators. This secretion forms hard resinous layers that completely cover their bodies, leaving only small anal and breathing openings. The insects mature into adults under this protective layer, becoming sexually mature after about eight weeks.
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