The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1895-01-03
JUMPING BEANS.

"a
from Trinidad, Col, letter of inquiry
concerning the so-called jumping
beans. Briefly stated, the answer
given to this inquiry was as follows
The jumping bean is obtained from
a Mexican plant Of the natural order
euphorbiaceae, which is habitually in
tested with the larva of a small moth,
carpocapsa saltitans, West, and by
some means not we'll understood this
larva is inclosed within the walls of
the seed, of which there are three,
making up the berry or fruit of the
plant infested. The imprisoned larva
when it is warmed makes the seed roll
about on fat surface, or even jump
| a slight distance in the air.
The larva develops into its second
stage in January or February, and the
moth soon after issues through hole
previously cut by the larva.
The larva Of the insect carpocapsa is
very destructive to fruit, such as ap-
pies, pears, etc, depositing its eggs in
the fruit as soon as set. The seed Of
the euphorbiaceae, however, seem to be
the most frequently infested by this
pest.
The following reply was made by
my correspondent:
Yours received in reply to my in
quiry concerning the so-called jumping
BEANS, carpocapsa saltitans. Please
accept thanks.
1.-The information concerning the de-
structiye habits of the insect leads me
to address you again, hoping that a
; word of warning from you may save
the country from being literally over.
: run with the pest. On or about Au.
gust 10Th there came to my employer
: fifteen of these bug-infested beans,
sent out by parties who claim to be the
sole agents for the United States ant
Canada, These goods are offered only
as curiosity, and with the consign
ment came many copies of letters from
widely scattered localities in the United
States and Canada stating that tn,
l beans sold readily, some parties order
ing one and two hundred, etc. 1t ha
l recently come to my knowledge tina
there passed over the Santa Fe by ex
press 10000 of these pests, presumably
to be sold over our country, and you
statement being true, the farmer vii
+ have another evil to fight. To max
matters worse, the druggists are mad
the distributing agents, and like m,
self and my employer are innocentl
scattering the pests.
Q "a word from me of warning to tn
: profession would not amount to much
. but your influence might arrest tn
j. evil.
h "Our Department of Agricultur
should be warned. The mails are be
S ing used to make the distribution.
= In reply to this warning would lik
d to say that do not think there is an
II occasion for alarm at present as tn
u particular species of saltitans does nc
d attack plants of economic value. Stil
it might be wise to be on guard fearin
), this species might change its habits.
l. The plant which it attacks especial
q was not described until late in 1891
o This plant is named by |. NJ. Rose a
II sebastiana palmeri.
: Attention was called to the insect b
h G. B. Riley, Government entomologis
; at meeting of the chronological 81
l. ciety held at Washington in 1891.
e Regarding the matter of spreadin
the pest l would say that SO far as IN
Is observation has gone, 80 per cent. {
II the larvae die before they leave til
IS hands of those whom they have serve
If to amuse as kind of toy. -ProfessC
l. L. E. Sayre.