Stink bug eggs on a leaf in Madagascar

© Paul Bertner/Minden Pictures

Nothing says ‘smile!’ like a bunch of eggs laid by a member of the Pentatomidae family of insects.

Not all stink bug eggs look like they have faces, but this incident of ‘life imitates emoji’ was too good to pass up. That’s right, it’s World Emoji Day. Those tiny, cartoonish pictures that often stand in for words and phrases in social media posts and text messages have become a system of communication all their own. But why on July 17? Early on in the (very recent) history of emoji, the calendar emoji displayed July 17. So, when time came for emoji to get their own day of recognition, this date stood out above all others.