White, furry “Boogie-Woogie” insects dancing on leaf stun internet

The video has received over 78,000 upvotes and nearly 4,000 comments since it was shared. The appearance of the bizarre bugs astonished internet users. Some speculated that the insects were beech blight aphids, commonly known as ‘boogie-woogie’ aphids, while others just described the video as “creepy.”

“When a colony of beech blight aphids gets disturbed, they’ll hoist their fuzzy posteriors high in the air and pulse in unison as a warning to predators,” one user noted. “Ew, that’s creepy,” said another.

Meanwhile, according to Newsweek, ‘boogie-woogie’ aphids may be found all over the United States. Their bodies are covered with glands that produce long, white, waxy strands, giving them the appearance of small woolly sheep. Their distinctive “dance,” as shown in the video, is a defensive strategy.

“Their waggling warns others of danger, but the young aphids will actually attack and bite potential predators. To do so, they use their piercing mouthparts, a kind of straw they use to feed on sap,” Francois Brassard, an insect ecology specialist at Charles Darwin University in Australia, elaborated. Mr Brassard also cautioned against touching these dancing beetles. If bitten, the waxy threads jam a predator’s throat, causing it to starve, he claims.