This famous red is made of crushed insects, and it seems like it's everywhere-- from food to cosmetics, and yes, even in paint.
The art history term Red Lake can mean a lot of different things, and of the them could be Cochineal. There are different species of insect that are used to make the color referred to as Carmine, and they have different pigment codes.
Artiscreation defines Cochineal NR4 as, "Laked extract from dried bodies of the female cochineal insect (Coccus cacti)." Cochineal insects live on a particular kind of cactus and were of major interest as an export from the Americas as a red dye that was a stronger colorant than Kermes.
In the discussion of textile dyes, the definitions and requirements for lightfastness differ than those required for archival artist's pigments. Some sources describe Cochineal as lightfast, but for painting purposes, we wish it were more lightfast.
Sasha Duerr's book on Natural Palettes notes that when used as a dye, "because cochineal is pH sensitive, it can provide a wide range of hot pinks, fuchsias, and reds as well as purples, blues, and dark grays, depending on how the color is modified."
While some have described this red as nontoxic, Monona Rossol mentions that many anthraquinone-related pigments have not been properly tested and may pose a risk. She specifically lists "Natural Red 4 (from cochineal-producing insects)" as one which has not been sufficiently tested.
Also check out NR3 for a discussion of the other crimson insect, Kermes.
