Kermes vermilio

Kermes vermilio is a species of Kermes that feeds on trees. Some of the species are used by humans to make vermilion; though a mineral form used in many cultures and discovered at a similar time is cinnabar (crystallized HgS, mercury sulfide). For details of further chemical alternatives see vermilion.

Sister species
The word (and dye) crimson is a corruption-derivative of kermes – the organism's genus, chiefly referring to its other species.