Post by halinder on May 10, 2019 1:12:24 GMT -5
NAME
Blepharopsis brumassis, commonly known as Guardians.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Medium size (caterpillar)
Large size(guardian)
Caterpillars of this species are split between a rigid gender dichotomy. Males tend to have grubbier, stubbier bodies that can be described as fat and squishy. Females develop colorful spines which are poisonous to eat and very easy to break off, deterring predators that are not specialized to kill them. It is worth noting that they have an incredible regenerative ability thanks to unique stem cells that work across species, as well as many hormones that naturally encourage cell growth and repair.
Guardians are something different entirely. Upon reaching this stage, caterpillars lose their genders and become neuters. Guardians switch brittle spines and excess fat for muscular limbs and tough scales, hardening their stalks into vibrant horns. They lack any camouflage or stealth, openly displaying bio-luminescent scaled "tongues" to warn any nearby creatures of their presence. Guardians have simplistic vision, only able to tell the difference between dark or light. They primarily rely on touch, taste, sound, and smell to navigate.
HABITAT
Guardians live in several different habitats dependent on the subspecies. Most share the island with the settlement of Eryu; any found off the island are invasive species. They are cold-blooded and tend to have brumation periods over the winter.
DIET
The Guardians of Eryu are omnivores. Caterpillars will often mimic the exotic vegetation (even "dressing" themselves in flowers and other plant debris) and ambush insects. In areas with more dense vegetation, they are known to burrow into trees and devour them from the inside out. Some develop a parasitic relationship with large plants, embedding inside of them. Invasive species that live elsewhere are typically herbivorous, suggesting that the island of Eryu has a very unique kind of ecology in comparison to the mainland.
COMMUNICATION
Guardians lack the ability to talk to each other; eerily enough, they're mostly silent as far as vocalization goes, preferring to communicate by touch and smell. It's hard to observe what they mean by their body language without having a special knowledge of their workings. These creatures definitely didn't evolve alongside typical creatures, and their signals may be misinterpreted.
REPRODUCTION
The reproductive system of a Guardian is.. unusual. Though they bear a gender dichotomy, their breeding is technically done asexually. Females will undergo a reproductive cycle once or twice in their lifetimes, shedding their protective spines. Males who choose to mate will meet with a female and link together; their flesh briefly fuses together around the male's reproductive organ. The male extends a sex pilus, embedding it into the female's reproductive organ: a womb surrounded by an inorganic wall, with a placenta-analog guarding the only entrance in. The womb is filled with stem-cell-alikes from the female. The male's sex pilus conjugates with the stem cells, forcibly injecting genetic information. This process can take some time.
Once the male detaches, the two go their separate ways and the female regrows her spines. Once ready to breed, the female takes the stem cells from the womb and attaches them to her skin, fusing them like tumors. These grow into siamese twins which, if all goes well, separate from the female to form an entirely different creature. Indeed, this means that the Guardians technically breed mitotically despite still having a mechanism for genetic diversity.
Females which fully empty their womb will then undergo metamorphosis to form a Guardian.
BEHAVIOR
Caterpillars are typically non-threatening towards creatures of equal size, including humans. Their reactions seem to be built on nurture rather than nature, since some will evade people and others will ignore them. Caterpillars seem to be one of the few creatures that have no records of manhunter-like behavior ever since the Singularity, showing that it's actually quite safe to be around them.
Guardian behavior is far more interesting. Guardians have the sole task of ensuring that the caterpillars in their area are taken care of, dramatically increasing the chances that they will survive to reproduce. They will do everything from obtaining food for the caterpillars to harassing predators. Interestingly, they seem to have a sense of ecology, as they will extend their protective behaviors to creatures and vegetation that contribute to the local environment. Given their excellent memories, it is not unheard of for Guardians to defend human hikers, especially those who provide for their young. On the other hand, making enemies of a Guardian ensures a powerful foe for life (which is a shame because the caterpillars tend to have many medicinal uses as well as high nutritional value).
Blepharopsis brumassis, commonly known as Guardians.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Medium size (caterpillar)
Large size(guardian)
Caterpillars of this species are split between a rigid gender dichotomy. Males tend to have grubbier, stubbier bodies that can be described as fat and squishy. Females develop colorful spines which are poisonous to eat and very easy to break off, deterring predators that are not specialized to kill them. It is worth noting that they have an incredible regenerative ability thanks to unique stem cells that work across species, as well as many hormones that naturally encourage cell growth and repair.
Guardians are something different entirely. Upon reaching this stage, caterpillars lose their genders and become neuters. Guardians switch brittle spines and excess fat for muscular limbs and tough scales, hardening their stalks into vibrant horns. They lack any camouflage or stealth, openly displaying bio-luminescent scaled "tongues" to warn any nearby creatures of their presence. Guardians have simplistic vision, only able to tell the difference between dark or light. They primarily rely on touch, taste, sound, and smell to navigate.
HABITAT
Guardians live in several different habitats dependent on the subspecies. Most share the island with the settlement of Eryu; any found off the island are invasive species. They are cold-blooded and tend to have brumation periods over the winter.
DIET
The Guardians of Eryu are omnivores. Caterpillars will often mimic the exotic vegetation (even "dressing" themselves in flowers and other plant debris) and ambush insects. In areas with more dense vegetation, they are known to burrow into trees and devour them from the inside out. Some develop a parasitic relationship with large plants, embedding inside of them. Invasive species that live elsewhere are typically herbivorous, suggesting that the island of Eryu has a very unique kind of ecology in comparison to the mainland.
COMMUNICATION
Guardians lack the ability to talk to each other; eerily enough, they're mostly silent as far as vocalization goes, preferring to communicate by touch and smell. It's hard to observe what they mean by their body language without having a special knowledge of their workings. These creatures definitely didn't evolve alongside typical creatures, and their signals may be misinterpreted.
REPRODUCTION
The reproductive system of a Guardian is.. unusual. Though they bear a gender dichotomy, their breeding is technically done asexually. Females will undergo a reproductive cycle once or twice in their lifetimes, shedding their protective spines. Males who choose to mate will meet with a female and link together; their flesh briefly fuses together around the male's reproductive organ. The male extends a sex pilus, embedding it into the female's reproductive organ: a womb surrounded by an inorganic wall, with a placenta-analog guarding the only entrance in. The womb is filled with stem-cell-alikes from the female. The male's sex pilus conjugates with the stem cells, forcibly injecting genetic information. This process can take some time.
Once the male detaches, the two go their separate ways and the female regrows her spines. Once ready to breed, the female takes the stem cells from the womb and attaches them to her skin, fusing them like tumors. These grow into siamese twins which, if all goes well, separate from the female to form an entirely different creature. Indeed, this means that the Guardians technically breed mitotically despite still having a mechanism for genetic diversity.
Females which fully empty their womb will then undergo metamorphosis to form a Guardian.
BEHAVIOR
Caterpillars are typically non-threatening towards creatures of equal size, including humans. Their reactions seem to be built on nurture rather than nature, since some will evade people and others will ignore them. Caterpillars seem to be one of the few creatures that have no records of manhunter-like behavior ever since the Singularity, showing that it's actually quite safe to be around them.
Guardian behavior is far more interesting. Guardians have the sole task of ensuring that the caterpillars in their area are taken care of, dramatically increasing the chances that they will survive to reproduce. They will do everything from obtaining food for the caterpillars to harassing predators. Interestingly, they seem to have a sense of ecology, as they will extend their protective behaviors to creatures and vegetation that contribute to the local environment. Given their excellent memories, it is not unheard of for Guardians to defend human hikers, especially those who provide for their young. On the other hand, making enemies of a Guardian ensures a powerful foe for life (which is a shame because the caterpillars tend to have many medicinal uses as well as high nutritional value).