Erebeetle
Erebeetles are a tiny species of insect that live on ereberry plants in the maze forests of Maloruno.
Etymology
Erebeetles are named after ereberries, an epiphyte species they live on and consume. "ere" is runian for "rage", as the berries cause uncontrollable rage in those that eat them.
Anatomy
Erebeetles grow no larger than 2mm in length, and are a bright purple. They have long antennae, two pairs of compound eyes, a proboscis for feeding all stuffed on to their tiny heads. Their thoraxes are half the size of their heads, with three pairs of segmented legs connected to them.
Their abdomens are extremely large, about three times the size as their heads. The abdomen is where the beetles store sap they extract from the trees and ereberry bushes, and it increases in size the more is eaten.
Diet
Erebeetles feed on the sap of ereberry bushes and maze pines. They use their incredibly strong probosces to pierce the plants, where they suck out the sap. The sap is stored in their abdomens, which swells up depending on how much sap is stored.
Erebeetles typically draw sap from ereberry bushes, and the purple sap causes the animal to turn a purple colour. This sap is used as storage, in case the beetle can't find any other food. Erebeetles operate on their own despite being social animals, except for if there is an extreme lack of sap around then the beetles will seek sap from other beetles.
Reproduction & Lifespan
Unique to erebeetles, these insects fertilise female's eggs using their probosces. The eggs are placed on the ends of ereberry leaves, which causes them to droop. Females lay clusters of up to a thousand eggs, impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.
Erebeetles live for about two days. They lay eggs on the second day, which takes up so much of their energy that they cannot live any longer.
Comments
Author's Notes
Thank you Theiket for the idea!