Jumping Bean
Jumping Bean, the seed of certain Mexican shrubs. The jumping is caused by the movement of the larva of a small moth, Carpocapsa saltitans, inside the seed. The eggs are laid in the seed pods in early summer. The larvae feed on the interior of the seeds for about three months, then become pupae. In the spring, the moths emerge through holes left in the seedcases by the larvae. Jumping beans are most active when exposed to heat. They are often sold as novelties.
Jumping beans belong to two genera, Sebastiania and Sapium, of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae.