Although my only roommate has moved out, there are now approximately 5-7 inhabitants of my inner sunset dungeon flat. X has been replaced by a handful of mexican jumping beans that fill the silence with incessant tick, tick....ticktickticks as they smack the walls of their clear plastic cage. I've grown quite fond of them over the past few days and decided I had to get to the bottom of their mysterious ways. The flier that accompanied their purchase was chock-full of hilarious but sadly indecipherable spanglish so I tapped into a different source - wikipedia. Below are my findings:
From Wikipedia:
A Mexican jumping bean is a phenomenon native to Mexico, where it is known as a brincador ("hopper"). Physically, Mexican jumping beans resemble small tan to brown beans. They are a type of seed in which the egg of a small moth has been laid. It is the moth's larva which makes them "jump". The beans themselves are from a shrub of the genus Sebastiania (S. palmeri or S. pavoniana), itself often referred to as the jumping bean, while the moth is a member of the genus Cydia, called a jumping bean moth.
After the egg hatches, 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 larva may live for months inside the bean with varying periods of dormancy. If the larva has adequate conditions of moisture and temperature, it will live long enough to go into a pupal stage. Normally, in the spring, the moth will force its way out of the bean through a round "trap door", leaving behind the pupal casing. The small, silver and gray-colored moth will live for only a few days.
The larvae jump as a survival measure in order to protect themselves 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 the beans in the sun for extended periods will dehydrate and kill them.
The larva may live for months inside the bean with varying periods of dormancy. If the larva has adequate conditions of moisture and temperature, it will live long enough to go into a pupal stage. Normally, in the spring, the moth will force its way out of the bean through a round "trap door", leaving behind the pupal casing. The small, silver and gray-colored moth will live for only a few days.
The larvae jump as a survival measure in order to protect themselves 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 the beans in the sun for extended periods will dehydrate and kill them.
Maintenance — "watering" and storage of the beans
To rehydrate the beans, they need to be soaked for a three-hour period in chlorine-free water once or twice a month. The chlorine found in tap water in some locales will kill them. Alternatively, one may let chlorinated tap water stand in an uncovered glass for about six hours before using, to let the chlorine dissipate. Just spraying the beans with a little water is ineffective in maintaining the larvae's lifespan. Beans should be stored in a cool dry place, but freezing will kill them.
Source of the beans
The Mexican jumping bean (Laspeyresia Saltitans) comes from the mountains in the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua; indeed, Álamos, Sonora styles itself the "Jumping Bean Capital of the World". They can be found in an area approximately 30 by 100 miles where the Sebastiana pavoniana host tree grows. During the spring, moths emerge from last year's beans and deposit their eggs on the flower of the host tree.
To rehydrate the beans, they need to be soaked for a three-hour period in chlorine-free water once or twice a month. The chlorine found in tap water in some locales will kill them. Alternatively, one may let chlorinated tap water stand in an uncovered glass for about six hours before using, to let the chlorine dissipate. Just spraying the beans with a little water is ineffective in maintaining the larvae's lifespan. Beans should be stored in a cool dry place, but freezing will kill them.
Source of the beans
The Mexican jumping bean (Laspeyresia Saltitans) comes from the mountains in the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua; indeed, Álamos, Sonora styles itself the "Jumping Bean Capital of the World". They can be found in an area approximately 30 by 100 miles where the Sebastiana pavoniana host tree grows. During the spring, moths emerge from last year's beans and deposit their eggs on the flower of the host tree.
1847 map of Mexico
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