Trabutina mannipara, or mana scale, is a species of mealybug found in the Middle East and southern Europe.
[4] T. mannipara feeds parasitically on tamarisk trees, and excretes a sweet substance which is sometimes collected for human consumption.
[5] Obsolete terms for it include Coccus manniparus and Trabutina palestina.
[5] In 1929, F. S. Bodenheimer found that the manna was in fact produced by the insects themselves,[5] and argued that the description of the sticky substance and its geographical region argued in favor of Ehrenberg's identification with the biblical manna.
[12] T. mannipara, like other mealybugs, is parasitic on plants, and in its excretions is a great deal of undigested material.