Jacobiasca formosana

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File:Cicadellidae - Empoasca decipiens-1.jpg
Jacobiasca formosana, source:Wikipedia

Jacobiasca formosana is a type of cicada that attacks mainly tea bushes and also cotton plants. Originally combated, these cicadas are now deliberately used to produce Oriental Beauty and Guifei oolong. The cicadas suck juices from the tea leaves and as a defence mechanism the tea plant then secretes an attractant to attract the cicada's natural enemy, a spider. This changes the ingredients in the leaves and, if processed correctly, the typical honey scent is created. As a rule, the whole thing only works when grown naturally and without pesticides.