Sweetberry Beetle

"So, what, we just... eat them? Just like that?"
"Ah. No. You don't eat the bugs."
Muffled, "Ah. I... see."

— An unfortunate traveler's experience

Sweetberry beetles are small red beetles found in the southern forests of Terramarre, just south of the Harvest Belt, bred by local farmers for the sweet resin they produce.

Learning from the Past

Though sweetberry beetles play a large part in the Harvest Belt's economy in the present day, there was a time where the breeding of these beetles led to absolutely disastrous consequences. Exploding populations spread throughout the region causing major damage to local homes, farms, and crops.

Uses

The Sweetest of Treats

The resin produced by sweetberry beetles is, as their name suggests, very sweet and fetches a high price at many markets. It can be consumed in small chunks as hard candies, or dissolved in spirits to create sweet glazes which are often used to add delicious, glossy shells to fresh fruits and to pastries.
The preservative quality of sweetberry resin allows foods like fruit and berries to remain fresh for longer periods of time, making these resin-coated snacks travel fairly well.

Lovely Colors

In addition to collecting their resin, beetle breeders also harvest the shells and wings of these beetles to produce a deep red pigment, popular among seamsters and artists.

Don't let their name deceive you; it's not the beetle you want to harvest as a treat!

Lifespan

3-5 days (male)
53-136 days (female)

Average Length

6-8mm (male) 10-13mm (female)

Pests, in Their Own Right

Those who breed these beetles for the commodities they produce must be very careful that they do not allow their beetles to spread far from their original habitats. The resin they produce, while valuable and delicious, is very destructive and hard to fully remove. The sweet resin also attracts other, larger pests which seek the delicious substance and may cause trouble if they appear in places they shouldn't, like crop fields and farmhouses.