Embermite

Despite their name, Embermites are not insects. They are a parasitic species of plant that burrow into tree bark to steal their nutrients. At night, Embermites glow a soft reddish color, similar to dying embers.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Embermites are round, fleshy plants that embed themselves in tree bark and steal the tree's nutrients. They use Aura from one of the suns as a supplemental energy source and as self defense from predators.

Their main body consists of five flaps that can twist closed to protect the embermite's center. When they are closed, the flaps create a distinct spiraling shape.

The inside of the embermite is a dark reddish color and is lined with stiff hair-like folicles. During spring, these folicles are coated with yellow orange pollen. The purpose of these folicles is to protect the center of the embermite from insects. The center of the embermite consists of a tiny hole no larger than a centimeter in diameter. Inside of this hole is the embermite's ovaries.

Underneath the circular body of the embermite are its roots, which burrow deep into the host tree. It has one anchor root, which is the main root that provides the plant with nutrients. Its other roots are used primarily to secure the embermite to the tree. These roots continue to fan out and expand as long as the embermite is alive.

Glow

Double Suns by Aster Blackwell

Embermites use Aura primarily as an energy source to help them grow and process food. They use Glow passively, and so consistently glow a faint reddish color. At night this gives them the appearance of tiny dying embers, which is how they get their name.

Rarely, embermites might use their Glow in self defense. If an insect ends up too deep inside of the embermite, the embermite can heighten the amount of Glow it releases in an attempt to cook the insect alive inside of it. This strategy has limited success and sometimes may damage the embermite itself.

Genetics and Reproduction

Mature embermites possess both male and female reproductive organs, and reproduce with the help of flying insects. During their pollen season, which is around early spring, embermites release an enticing smell to pursuade insects to land inside of them. There, the insect will be coated with embermite pollen, which is microscopic and quite sticky. Hopefully, the insect will fly to another embermite and rub the pollen off, fertilizing the female parts of the plant.

The smell that embermites release every season is an interesting mix of tangy and sweet. Many people feel it smells similar to rotting fruit, though others insist that it is actually a pleasant smell. Regardless, the smell of embermites is a sign of the season, as they are among the first spring plants to start pollinating.

After an embermite is pollinated, it will produce about a hundred tiny seeds within its ovaries. About 20 days after pollination, the embermite pushes the seeds to the edges of its body, where they are picked up by the wind and carried away. These seeds will find their way onto new trees and implant into their bark, starting a new generation of embermites.

Growth Rate & Stages

Embermites have three distinct stages: seed, bud, and adult.

Seed

At the seed stage, they are no larger than a fingernail. They are oval shaped, sleek black, and have several tiny filaments on one end. These features combined make them appear similar to a tiny black beetle.

Embermites use their filaments as tiny parachutes to allow them to carry in the wind more easily. They will float on the wind until they encounter an obstacle, usually a tree. The filmants are covered with tiny barbs that allow them to firmly grasp tree bark. The moment they land, the embermite is firmly attached. If the embermite lands on the ground and is unable to take flight again, or if it lands on something other than a tree, it will quickly die.

Once the embermite has attached to a tree, it begins growing its roots into the bark. It starts with an anchoring root that penetrates the bark and burrows deep into the wood of the tree, securely fastening the embermite. Once the anchor root is established, additional support roots radiate from the embermite's center and spread just under the bark layer. As the roots grow, the embermite enters the "bud" stage.

Bud

The bud stage is where the embermite transforms from a tiny black "bug" to a tough fleshy bulb. During this stage the anchor root burrows deeper and deeper, seeking the center of the tree. As the embermite steals the tree's water and nutrients, it grows larger, bursting free of its shiny black casing and revealing reddish flesh.

This fleshy growth expands until it is two to three inches in diameter and has a distinctive spiral shape on its surface. Two to three weeks after the embermite first attached, it finishes budding and opens as an adult plant.

Adult

Adult embermites continue to grow for the rest of their lives. They could theoretically grow forever, but are limited by the amount of nutrients their host tree can provide them before it perishes. Each spring, they produce pollen and release seeds into the wind to spread the species.

Embermites die when their host tree can no longer provide them with nutrients, by predation, or during intense shifts in the weather. They are notoriously difficult to eliminate, though, as they can bounce back as long as their anchor root is still intact.

Ecology and Habitats

Embermites prefer temperate forests with medium to light tree density. If the forest is too close together, the embermites won't be able to spread their seeds effectively or access as much Aura. Since orchards are neatly spaced and often lack the embermites' natural predators, they are perfect locations for the parasite to establish, much to the farmers' dismay.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Embermites are parasitic, and rely on their host tree for protection, water, and additional nutrients. They use their anchor root to tap into the center of their host and steal its hard work.

"She hired me to clear out the embermites in her orchard, but when I took a look I told her it was good as lost. The trees had at least 10 mites each, and they had to have been there for at least three seasons. She should've called me months ago, before they had a chance to settle in!"

— Pest Control Specialist

Since an embermite is so small, the stolen nutrients are often hardly noticed by the tree. When multiple embermites implant on the same tree, however, it can pose a serious problem. Embermite infestations can destroy entire orchards if they are not vigilantly kept under control.

Embermites are at their weakest when they first attach to the tree. If they are scraped off before their anchor roots can get established, they are taken care of. If they're left to grow, though, it can be almost impossible to get rid of them without severely damaging the tree. An embermite can grow back even if its exposed body is completely destroyed, as long as its anchor root is still healthy.

A handy way to keep embermites away from a tree is to wrap the main part of the tree's trunk in a sheet of wood or metal. Using wood allows the embermites to attach to the wood, but protects the tree itself, so after embermite pollination season is over the wood covering can be removed and the embermites will die. Using metal prevents the embermites from attaching at all. Both of these options can quickly become very expensive for large orchards, so many farmers prefer to instead hire people to scrape the seedling embermites off of the trees during pollination season. This of course leaves room for error, as even one embermite left alive could reproduce enough next spring to infect a good portion of the orchard.

Lifespan

10 years

Average Length

4 in