Needle Strider

Summary

Despite their sharp-looking legs and tough carapace, the needle strider is a harmless nectar drinker. They're surprisingly busy about that fact, going from flower-to-flower with a skittering speed most wouldn't expect. In this way, they act as pollinators for many plant species, and an unwitting carry for things like spores and other reproductive items. Mana-rich flowers are their especially favorite treat, which tends to infuse them a lot of it in the process. Given the great many subraces that exist within the species, most ecologists believe what type of mana they're exposed to affect a lot of their characteristics. Their humble role aside, needle striders have a historical place for many people. Their legs are ideal for needlework, from textiles to medicines, and so often show up as the first tools for such. The advance of civilization saw many move away from them, regulating them to a pauper's item. Still, when wilderness survival is paramount, needle striders a free source of a rather valuable tool. In this respect they are still utilized to this day in wild or far-flung regions of the world, especially Etzli Cuauhtla.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The core of the needle strider's body is a rounded head, connected two-section segmented thorax, with a bulbous abdomen at the back. Their legs emerge out of the thorax, while very tiny, fine mandibles give their head shape and flexibility. The mouth is a long, extendible tube with an even longer tongue on the inside, ideal for getting into the deepest of recesses. A fine layer of fuzzy hair covers them, to which pollen and other plant-residue clings onto. The needle-like legs themselves are thin, blade-like appendages, principally composed of metals like iron and copper, with rarer ones have silver instead. The abdomen is a notable difference from the rest of the body. They store their mana there particularly, and so it can come to grow a different exoskeleton based on what mana it has at the time. This is often the main identifier for a subrace, but aside from being a harvest point for some solidified mana, it has no other exceptional value.

Biological Traits

Metal Legs – Their legs are a very rudimentary form of iron, copper, or silver, making them a potential source for people in desperate need of some.

Genetics and Reproduction

Males and females copulate in the fall period, where the females then go to lay eggs in warmer regions during said winters. The offspring grow in concealed nests that contain a syrupy liquid that is a mixture of water, nectar, and enzymes.

Growth Rate & Stages

Unusual for insects, needle striders grow rather slowly. The main issue is their legs, as the acquisition of their signature metals in their diet is not easy. It can be said they grow more by eating than through time, and when the right materials become present, they pupate from their infantile forms to their adult ones. Thankfully, the species is relatively long lived, so adults have plenty of opportunities to make up for batches of failed offspring.

Ecology and Habitats

They're found the world over in the warm regions with flowering plants. A few exotic subraces crawl the arctic tundras, being made of crysium and primarily feeding off mana rather than nectar.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Herbivore; nectar drinker, with a preference toward mana-infused nectar.

Biological Cycle

The cold is dangerous to them, so they're surprisingly migratory if not in a place with round-the-clock warmth. These migrations tend to be important, as they move pollen and other material around in vast distances as a result.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Their metal legs are their principle attraction, though some may also seek out their mana-infused abdomens if they can find some. Given that such fine tools can degrade quickly, needle striders tend to be in constant demand if local industries are not producing enough needles themselves. It isn't uncommon for there to be breeding hatcheries dedicated to maintaining their populations as a result. In fact, the needle strider's infantile stage's need for raw metals gives them a very minor role in recycling. Scrap iron, copper, and silver can be broken into tiny chunks, which the immature forms nibble on and integrate into themselves eventually.

Disposition

Docile

Scientific Name

(Nee-dle Sh-tri-der)

Average Height

Small

Average Weight

Feathery