Bug Sugar

A sweet syrup, produced by aphids and kermes when they feed on plants. Bug sugar is the most traditional sweetener used on Mercury. It is no longer in production on Mercury after the devastation of the planet, but it remains in production on other planets and moons.
Most of the keras that produce sugar only eat a specific kind of plant. Their wellbeing is tied to the wellbeing of the plant they feed on. Rarely, they can adapt to eat another similar plant if their food source is eliminated. However, it is more likely that they die out together.
The Sweetbulb is the most commonly used Keras for sugar husbandry. Sweetbulbs are fully domesticated aphids, they can eat a variety of different plants. Due to their weight, they cannot walk on their own. While this would be concerning for most other domesticated species, there are several species in the wild that also are immobile.
To create the syrup, the keras burrows their face into the plant to feast on its sap. Sap is sweet, but not very nutritious. Since the keras want the nutrients, they excrete as much of the sugars and the liquids as they can. In the wild the sap will coat the ground around them, but sugar farmers collect it in vessels or with automatic milking systems. Opinions are divided on the automatic systems, the farmers who use it say it reduces stress, while detractors say it incentivises less oversight. When the farmers aren't regularly checking in on their herd, they're more likely to miss signs of illness.
When the keras is done eating and unlatches from the plant, a crust of sugar forms. This sugar is often collected and sold as a byproduct.
Since the syrup is a waste product, it is always pasteurized before sale.

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