Sapphire Swallowtail
Native only to the Avrodian peninsula, the sapphire swallowtail is a beautiful insect known for its translucent wings that come in various hues of blue and violet. Their mesmerizing colors hail the arrival of spring and the beginning of the Dawn year.
Life Stages
Sapphire swallowtails have three life stages: larva, pupae, and adult. In their larval stage, they are known as the sparkworm due to their unique method of self defense.
Larva
Sparkworms have dark bodies, save for their head, which can be blue or lavender in color. Their skin has a sheen of iridescent blue. Their body is covered in many thin hairs. The tips of these hairs glow brightly if the caterpillars feels it is threatened.
If the caterpillar is touched, it will discharge a Glowpulse much more powerful than its size would suggest. The brief blast of light is accompanied by a burning cold. While far from fatal, this attack is usually more than enough to deter any would-be predator.
Sparkworms need at least a full night's worth of Celestial Aura to recharge this ability. Therefore, if it is ineffective, the caterpillar is left defenseless.
Pupae
After a few weeks of consuming plant leaves, the caterpillar reaches its full size of about 2 inches. It will then find a suitable place to pupate. Pupae are around two inches in length and are translucent blue or violet, with sharp edges that make them look like a cut gemstone. At night, the pupae glow faintly blue as they absorb Aura. It is theorized that the Aura is used to assist in metamorphosis.
In Plain Sight
Such a brightly colored chrysalis would be easy for predators to spot, were it not for the giant starbark tree. Plentiful in the cloud forests, the tree's bark is covered with small nodes that glow blue at night. The small chrysalis of a sparkworm is easily lost in the hundreds of towering trunks of the cloud forests.
Adult
The swallowtail emerges from its cocoon after 2 to 3 weeks. The adult butterfly has a thin black body. It has a wingspan of 3 to 6 inches. Its wings are blue or violet and translucent, much like a gemstone. The wings are rimmed with black. The wing veins have sharp edges, further increasing the resemblance to a cut jewel. Its hind wings have a short black tail.
Adult sapphire swallowtails live for up to two months. They feed on nectar from flowers, and are an important pollinator in the Avrodian cloud forests. The butterflies do not have the Glowpulse abilities that their larval form did. Instead, they use their Glow to attract mates, igniting their wings with beautiful swirling patterns of light. They rely on camouflage and agility to avoid predation.
Cloud Wyvern
I love that you've described all of the stages and that all of them have something unique about them. I love the camouflage of the pupae.
Thank you! Sometimes insects can fill completely different niches depending on their life stage, and I want to incorporate some of that into my world because I think it's really cool.
Definitely! Also, yay for art!