Kermes vermilio is a species of Kermes that feeds on trees.

Some of the species are used to make vermilion; though a mineral form used in many cultures and discovered at a similar time is cinnabar (crystallized HgS, mercury sulfide).

[1] For details of further chemical alternatives see vermilion.

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

This article related to members of the insect superfamily Coccoidea is a stub.