Dancing Fruit Appreciation Thread.

FACT

The Mexican Jumping Bean is not a bean. It is actually a thin-shelled section of a seed capsule containing the larva of a small gray moth called the jumping bean moth (Laspeyresia saltitans).

All Stages Of Laspeyresia Saltitans:

Cut-away view of Mexican jumping bean carpel showing pupa of jumping bean moth (Laspeyresia saltitans) resting in a silken cocoon. Note the escape door which is conveniently placed where the adult moth will emerge.

After the egg has hatched, the larva eats away the inside of the bean, making a hollow for itself. It attaches itself to the bean with many silk threads.

The beans jump as a survival measure in order to protect the larvae from the heat, which can cause them to dry out. The ultraviolet rays from the sun stimulate them to jump, even in cool temperatures, but leaving them in the sun for extended periods will dehydrate and kill them.