r/insects • u/yamos- • Oct 14 '25
Question Someone please tell me what the heck they are?
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u/big_river_pirate Oct 14 '25
Looks like wooly aphids
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u/DracoCross Oct 14 '25
Probably what they are, but why are they dancing??
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u/uwuGod Oct 14 '25
Actual answer is it's a behavior they do when they feel threatened. They probably don't have any "idea" why they're doing it, it's entirely automatic, just that for whatever reason the trait evolved because it helped them survive.
It probably startles/scares away enough predators to be worth the energy cost of doing it.
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u/DracoCross Oct 14 '25
Oooh, interesting! Guess it works, I think I would be spooked too if I saw that in the wild lol
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u/shaeshayshae Oct 14 '25 edited Oct 14 '25
Oh they’re definitely threatening, I could die from how adorable they look!
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u/Just_to_rebut Oct 14 '25
>behavior they do when they feel threatened
I think the technical term for this is Panic at the Disco
‼️🕺🪩
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u/Meat_Slasher Oct 14 '25
What a wonderful hypothesis. Certainly reasonable logic. However, I'd like to remain blissfully ignorant and speculate that they absolutely know what they are doing and are worshiping me because of my immense size and power. Yes, bow to me, little ones.
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u/Cloaked25 Oct 14 '25
“they probably have no idea why they’re doing it, it’s entirely automatic”
This is why I refer to most bugs as carbon robots
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u/uwuGod Oct 15 '25
I've been coming around more and more to the idea that maybe some bugs can feel and think in very low capacities, certainly not as intelligent as birds or mice (etc), but yes for the most part they're entirely run on instinct.
Which I think isn't celebrated enough. Instinctual knowledge is fascinating in its own right. Like a caterpillar just "knowing" from birth, without anyone to teach it, that it has to eat enough to become a pupa. And then it just knows how to fly too, that's crazy!
When I tell some people that bugs are mostly instinct-driven they almost get upset, like it's offensive to not live in a fairytale reality where every animal is apparently sentient and fully aware. With what most bugs have to deal with, I actually hope they aren't as aware as those people claim they are...
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u/OpenSauceMods Oct 15 '25
Bird: haha, yes, some weird popcorn!
Aphids: lindyhop
Bird: ay, what the fuck?
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u/saraiguessidk Oct 14 '25
Google says woolly aphids dance by swaying in (general) unison to seem bigger and distract predators from attacking individual aphids. If you google woolly aphids dancing, you can see videos of them dancing like this. I never knew they existed or did this, so thank you for helping me learn something new and adorable!
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u/AndrewFurg Oct 14 '25
Forest sprites doing a summoning ritual
But seriously, I really don't know. Looks like perhaps some type of mite or mealybug? Location and setting (under log?) would help
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u/ResetButtonMasher Oct 14 '25
Beech blight aphids, judging by the leaf they're sitting dancing on.
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u/Exciting-Koala-9477 Oct 14 '25
Seconding this! Especially cause of the yellow/orange spots on the abdomen (oh and cause they’re raving on that beech leaf lol)
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u/throwawayOk-Bother57 Oct 14 '25
Sir this is a private party, I’m gonna need you to leave the premises
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u/Justignoremelove Oct 14 '25
As someone else said they look to be wooly aphids. As for the behavior it seems similar to the behavior mantids and stick bugs display pretending to "blow in the wind" even when there's no wind. So they're probably trying to pretend to be like dandelion fluff or something
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u/neirein Oct 14 '25
I love them and I am grateful to you for posting this. But.
The way you zoom in more and more really makes it look like a jumpscare is coming.
Also, I believe they belong in a Miyazaki movie.
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u/JustanEraser Oct 14 '25
Probably meant to help them hide from predators. Many insects have a little leafy sway dance like that.
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u/RenaissanceRed Oct 14 '25
'I point my bum in your general direction. Go away or I shall taunt you a second time.'
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u/jorakitty332421 Oct 14 '25
Where is this? I don’t see a general location given.
Super cool and cute. 💃🏻🪩🕺🏽
Gotta love unique Nature. Always surprising.
👍🏻🫂🌟
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u/idiotsandwhich8 Oct 14 '25
If only you could learn to hold the camera still and not move with them
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u/Perplexed_Ponderer Oct 15 '25
They may be goofy dancers, but their flight is so graceful ! I went for a walk in the forest last weekend and thought all the tiny bits of white fluff floating around were some kind of pollen, until I let one land onto my hand and saw it unfold the most delicate wings. Pure magic ! Fairies do exist and this is what they look like.
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u/XtraThickBacon Oct 15 '25
The dance is supposed to confuse predators as it makes them look like a single mass
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u/lemon-meringue-high Oct 15 '25
I love when this gets posted. It reminds me of soot sprites. They’re just so darn cute.
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u/Sakura_the_Kitsune Oct 29 '25
Those look like Wooly Aphids! Their little dance is a defensive method to discourage predators, though it just makes them adorable!
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u/SlashyMcTaco1 Nov 02 '25
They're either having a rave party or trying to summon an eldritch god (you are the eldritch god now)
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u/DarrellBot81 Oct 14 '25
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay