Vampiric Butterfly

The vampiric butterfly is a species of butterfly native to Havenvern Island that derives sustenance from the blood of mammals. They have dark crimson bodies with black wings and two fang-like structures that allow for piercing of skin and sucking of blood. When feeding normally, the butterfly administers a numbing agent when biting so the host might not notice, especially if the feeding occurs at night. Most of the time they can be encountered when traveling through Moshkyan, but occasionally will stray out of the forest to feed on livestock or unaware humans.    For a week in mid summer, swarms of vampiric butterflies can be encountered searching for a blood source needed for reproduction. Such swarms have been known to overcome smaller mammals, leaving bloody carcasses full of holes in their wake. Understandably, being caught up in a vampiric swarm can be a traumatic event, especially for children, so windows on the edge of the forest are closed tight and most avoid going anywhere near Moshkyan during this period.   Vampiric butterfly eggs can be found on the underside of Inkberry leaves in mid to late summer. Red caterpillars hatch after a few days to feed on inkberries. By the end of the feeding period, the caterpillars will turn black from the color of the berries and form a black chrysalis at the base of the inkberry bush. The species overwinters in this chrysalis stage before emerging as a butterfly in the spring.   Some compisceanes will seek out vampiric chrysalises during the winter, dry them out, and grind them into a powder for use in healing salves.