Did you know Mexican jumping beans are actually caterpillars? <\/p>
Mexican jumping beans are not beans but actually caterpillars. They are Cydia deshaisiana moth caterpillars maturing in the fallen seedpods of Sebastiania<\/em> shrubs, which thrive in the hot, dry Mexican climate. <\/p> The adult moth lays its egg on a developing pod, and the hatched larva<\/a> nibbles its way inside. The youngster reacts to light and heat, violently jerking its body in an attempt to seek shade, causing the seed to jump. <\/p> It only stops moving when it is out of the sun\u2019s dangerous, drying glare. After the pupal stage, the silver-grey adult moth eats its way out of the seedpod, and the cycle starts again. <\/p>Why do Mexican jumping beans jump?<\/h2>