Grand King Beetle

The Grand King Beetle is one of the largest insect species in Etharai, and one of the most terrifying creatures of the megaforest floor. It has strong mandables capable of cutting through bone, and can move silently through the heavily-vegitated undergrowth of its habitat. Where most beetles are vegetarians, the Grand King Beetle needs much more to sustain itself, and is known to feed on prey such as the redbacked beetle and the crested blitzbeetle.

Anatomy

The Grand King Beetle can reach up to ten feet in height, twelve feet with the large crest-like growth on its head. This growth, resembling a large, spiked, crown, is where the Grand King Beetle gets its name. The beetle has tiny hairs on each of its legs, allowing it to climb trees and branches, clinging to the bark. It has four eyes - two large ones on the side of its head, and two smaller ones on the front. Its mandibles are the same length as its head, and allow it to crush the hard shells of its prey, to get to the meat inside. They also use these mandibles to fight one another, as the beetles are incredibly territorial. Grand King Beetles have more than once been observed cannibalising their own species. The beetles are a greenish-brown colour, and though they technically do have a vestigial elytra, they are incapable of flight due to their incredibly large size. For some strange reason, however, the blood flow from a Grand King Beetle's brain to the rest of its bodies goes through the beetle's wings. Because of this, even though the wings are entirely useless, the removal of the wings will kill the beetle.

Geographic Distribution

• Megaforest