Mexican jumping bean moth (Cydia deshaisiana)

''Cydia saltitans'' or jumping bean moth is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

that is most widely known as its larva, where it inhabits the carpels of seeds from several related shrubby trees, mainly '' Sebastiania pavoniana'' or '' Sapium biloculare'' ( syn. ''

Pleradenophora bilocularis ''Pleradenophora'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. M ...

''). These seeds are commonly known as

Mexican jumping bean Mexican jumping beans (also known as ' in Spanish) are seed pods that have been inhabited by the larva of a small moth (''Cydia saltitans'') and are native to Mexico. The "bean" is usually tan to brown. They are from the shrub '' Sebastiania pa ...

s. The moth lays the egg on the young capsule. The hatched larva gnaws into the fruit, which closes the minute hole during its growth. The larva attaches itself to the capsule with many

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

en threads by hooks on its anal and four hind abdominal

proleg A proleg is a small, fleshy, stub structure found on the ventral surface of the abdomen of most larval forms of insects of the order Lepidoptera, though they can also be found on other larval insects such as sawflies and a few other types of in ...

s. When the fruit is warmed, for instance by being held in the palm of the hand, the larva twitches, pulling on the threads and causing the characteristic hop. "Jump" is often an exaggeration, but the beans nonetheless do move around quite a bit. The larva may live for months inside the fruit with periods of inactivity. It eats away the seed inside the capsule, making a hollow for itself. If the fruit is cut, the larva will repair the hole with silk. If the larva has suitable conditions such as moisture, it will live long enough to go into a

pupal A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

stage. In preparation for this, it eats a circular hole through the shell and closes it again with a silken plug. This is to enable the jawless adult moth to escape from the fruit. After completion of the exit hole it spins a cocoon within the fruit, with a passageway leading to the opening. During the following pupal stage the larva will not move any more. Normally in the spring, the moth will force its way out of what remains of the fruit, through the round "trapdoor", leaving behind the pupal casing. The small, jawless silver and gray-colored moth will live for only a few days.

Nomenclature

In most of the historical literature prior to 2020, the name of this species is given as ''deshaisiana'' and attributed to Lucas, 1858. However, careful examination of the source literature revealed that Lucas' name has never been available (a '' nomen nudum'' under the ICZN rules), and also that Westwood's original name, ''Carpocapsa saltitans'', had evidently been introduced earlier in that same year (Westwood's first appeared in July 1858 and Lucas' in November). Westwood coined the name using elements referring to the behavior; ''carpo'' and ''capsa'' indicating that it lives within a seed (see

podocarp Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pr ...

), and ''saltitans'' referring to its jumping behavior.

References

* (1876). Jumping Seeds and Galls. ''American Naturalist'', Vol. 10(4): 216–218.

External links

Information on Jumping Beans

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2714227 Grapholitini Moths described in 1858 Moths of Central America

Nomenclature

See also

References

External links