Trabutina


Trabutina is a genus of "blue-green" mealybugs, containing five species: T. crassispinosa, T. elastica, T. mannipara, T. serpentina, and T. tenax. This genus of scale insects feeds solely on plants of the genus Tamarix. Its type species is T. mannipara.
Trabutina insects produce a sweet excretion which is used as a food in Israel and Iraq. Polyrhachis simplex, a species of weaver ants, also feeds on the sugary secretions.