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Why is the tamarisk manna scale associated with biblical manna?

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homopteran Newly emerged adult cicada (*Neotibicen pruinosus*).

The tamarisk manna scale (Trabutina mannipara) is associated with biblical manna because of the substance it excretes. As a mealybug that feeds on plant sap, the female scale insect ingests large quantities of fluid and excretes the surplus as a sweet, sugary substance known as honeydew.123

In arid regions, this honeydew solidifies into thick, flaky layers on the leaves of the tamarisk tree. Because this material is edible, sugarlike, and appears in the desert environment, many researchers consider it a naturalistic explanation for the "bread from heaven" described in biblical literature that sustained the Israelites during their 40-year journey. This substance is still collected and consumed as a delicacy in parts of Arabia and Iraq today.12