Silver Beetle

The silver beetle are known for their great symbolic beauty and utility within the economies of the world. They are often used in symbolism for merchants or artists. Raised intentionally for their shells and wings which are turned into Irredescent Enamel. They feed often on dying or nead dead plants, as well as feeding on necrotic mites and other insects that feed off dying plants and animals.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The beetles are known for their silvery white carapaces. They blend well within the silvery foliage of the the giant silver junipers, the silvery sage and pale cactii. They can grow for the carapace to be as large as a human thumbnail. While they will eat many forms of vegetation and tiny mites, they reproduce exclusively on logs of the giant silver juniper.

Genetics and Reproduction

The life span of the beetle is measured in months. They repoduce rapidly is there are enough resources to feed on. Eggs are layed only on dying Silver Juniper trees or logs of the same trees. After birth they feed on the dying juniper for a few weeks before moving on to find other sorts of food. The secondary foods will influence the color or durability of the resultant Irredescent Enamel that is produced. A diet of silvery sage and reeds produces harder resins and diet of pale cacti and mites makes for a shinier resin.

Additional Information

Social Structure

There is little social strucutre, however larger beetles tend to be avoided by smalled ones. What this means is unknown. Mating doesn't appear to be intentional but opportunistic only. Colonies with extensive harvest seem to treat sentient creatures with less biting and scratching. It is unknown if this is selective breeding, or intelligence passed on between generations.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The native spread limited to the Western region of The Raikirian Desert. Though intentional havesting and raising them elsewhere is not uncommon. The dependence on specific cultivars of juniper makes the juniperwood trade valueable for their home enviornment reguardless if the beetle is raised there.