I thought about this a bit, and came up with a possibly crazy idea. I think it's worth exploring though. Many animals mimic more dangerous ones, so why not in Felarya too? And what is more dangerous in Felarya than a fairy?
Please let me know what you think.
Pseudo Fairies (Better name?)
Race: Insect
Type: Humanoid
Size: 1ft-3ft
Locations: Miragia Forest, Forest of Whispers, and on and around the Great Tree.
Diet: Fruits, small insects, nuts, nectar
Threat: Minimal
Description: Pseudo fairies are Batesian mimics of Fairies. A Batesian mimic is a organism which, although harmless, mimics an organism that IS dangerous/toxic/foul tasting/etc. The adult pseudo-fairies closely resemble fairies-they are small, winged humanoids with antennae. However, instead of merely having insect features, these are full insects. Their "skin is actually an exoskeleton, and their hair is actually a modified sensory organ. By Felaryan standards they are fairly harmless, and actually are quite tasty. However, their appearance usually causes predators to look for another mean. They still have the second pair of legs, but these are vestigial and are useless to the pseudo fairies, and they often remove them. They posses no antimagic capability, but DO possess a rudimentary form of illusion magic. This magic is primarily used to hide their compound eyes and exoskeletal joints by "bluring" them, but when used en masse it can also blur the image of the entire group, making it difficult to pick out a single individual. They possess some intelligence and are curious, but only as intelligent as a small monkey (larger ones seem to be more intelligent). They tend to congragte in groups of 10-20. They have mandibles which are slighty fused in semblance of jaws, as well as a proboscis hidden in a pocket on the roof of the jaw. They are quite popular as pets in the city of Negav, although the danger** involved in hunting them* generally sets their price quite high.
Pseudo Fairy Larvae (Aka False Chilotaurs)
Race: Insect
Type: Tauric
length: 2.5 inches-12 ft depending on developmental stage.
Description: Larval Pseudo fairies are different enough from the adults in appearance and temperament to warrant their own description. they are born from a cluster of 4-6 3inch long eggs, often attached to a crevice in a fruiting tree. On some occasions they are cared for by the parents, but at other times they are not. At hatching, the larvae resemble large caterpillars and feed mostly on the leaves and fruit of the tree. They remain in this state until they reach their 6th molt. After their sixth molt -which takes on average three weeks longer to occur than the previous molts-they emerge in a form that is strikingly reminiscent of a chilotaur. They have a humanoid "torso" and "arms", and even mimic the fron pair of legs of a chilotaur. The rest of the body strongly resembles a centipede's. At this point they typically leave the tree and feed on insects and anything smaller than them as well as fruit. They will never touch leaves again. After a few more molts, they begin to manifest their innate illusion magic. Once they reach five feet long, they will burrow underground and pupate. After a period of four moths, they emerge as Pseudo fairies.
Note this is just one example; in theory, any type of animal or even plant could mimic something. Heck, maybe something mimics a drider's appearance, and it doesn't necessarily have to be an arthopod (although many batesian mimics are arthpods or other invertebrates)
Comments? I noticed Felarya was lacking any batesian mimics, so i figured I'd try it.
*In short, mistaking an actual fairy for one and trying to catch it.
**Not to mention frustration; Their illusions can play merry hell when trying to catch one.
Subject: Fauna: Pseudo fairies + Larvae; Batesian Mimics in general 
Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:20 pm
