In a recent study, published in the journal Ecosphere, researchers from Columbia University, USA, and Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, have assessed the effects of active restoration in fragmented rainforests of the Western Ghats.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.