Mexican Jumping Beans
Mexican Jumping Bean is the seed pod of a shrub named as Sebastiana pavoniana. These are not actually beans or seeds. It is section of a seed capsule. It begins to bloom in the dry and rocky slopes of Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico. The mother moth lays eggs on the capsules of the shrub’s flowers. Once the eggs are hatched, the larva eats its way through the capsule. These capsules become brown and hard and have a bean-like appearance once they mature. The larva feed on the capsule’s contents. These jumping beans necessarily require larvae that are alive.
Quick Facts: –
- The moth is named as Laspeyresia saltitans.
- Mexican Jumping Beans are usually only sold seasonally.
- These moths leave an exit hole in exact circular shape in the bean after emerging from it.
- These beans jump when the tiny larva curls up and uncurl and hit the capsule’s wall with its head.
- The reason is not clear exactly why the larvae curl up and uncurl inside the capsule.
- These beans become more active when they are exposed to light or heat. Over exposure can cause them to die.
- Mexican Jumping Beans are food for cats and dogs.
- They are abundantly available in summer and a good source of income for Mexicans.
- They are not suitable for human consumption.
- These beans do not move during the winter months when the larva is in the process of growing into a pupa.
- Once they emerge from the bean, a moth can fly off the repeat the entire lifecycle by laying eggs.
