Author Notes - As awesome as it is to finally give these creatures a proper Piklopedia entry, there's not really much to them. Remember, they're practically designed to be one of the least interesting creatures on the planet. The only thing that really makes interesting is the fact that they appear so rarely (and fairly far into the game) that many players may never even encounter them.

UJAMUSHI FAMILY

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthopoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Ixodida

EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES

Ever seen that one episode of that show? You know, the one where the cute little fluffy purring things multiply and take over the entire ship? Yeah, that one. Ujadani are basically those things, but less fluffy and more poisonous. They're hard to find, but when you do, you will find yourself getting swarmed by the dang things. For all intents and purposes, they're not nearly as cool as some of the other creatures in this ecosystem. But every ecosystem has those little guys who aren't at all interesting, and the ecosystem needs them all the same.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES

The Imbrasitum venemanga (Ujadani) is a tiny creature measuring only a few millimetres across, making it one of the smallest known to PNF-404. It consists mostly of a round orange body, with only six spiky purple legs and two purple eyes as stand-out features. The front of its face also features a proboscis, which it drinks Spiderwort juice from.

HABITAT

The Ujadani are very rare creatures that have only been found in an area designated as the 'Wistful Wilds'. And even then, they can only be spotted once every thirty days. They are, however, rather easy to find during this time, for they are out all day and in the same two spots every time.

DIET AND DEFENCES

Ujadani are herbivorous, consuming the juices of fruits such as those found on the Burgeoning Spiderwort. They will also drink nectar from grasses. If they are attacked, they will defend themselves by releasing a quick but effective cloud of poison. It appears to emerge from the ground every thirty days with the intent of drinking Spiderwort nectar, though why they emerge every thirty days exactly is unclear.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

No matter what, Ujadani stick together in massive swarms of approximately 30 individuals. The biggest is the 'leader', though the only shots they call will be directing where the group goes. When it comes to mating or food, the leader is treated no differently and is given no priority of any kind. If the leader dies or is killed in a battle, the next biggest will immediately take its place.

COURTING AND CHILDREARING

All Ujadani are biologically female, capable of reproducing without any need for traditionally male genetic material. They are, essentially, born pregnant and only need to consume sustenance in order to propagate their species. Unlike most bugs, they give live birth and the young are already ready to survive on their own.

OTHER NOTES

Ujdani in captivity have exhibited the same 'emerge only once every thirty days' behaviour, even if they are inside and thus should have no way to tell how much time has passed. This hints at the possibility that the Ujadani inherently know when thirty days have gone by, much like a powerful internal clock.

NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS

Ujadani -

Far from the most impressive creature on this planet. In fact, compared to everything else, they're kind of… simple. But I suppose that isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, every ecosystem needs the little guys to keep going. - Alph

Ugh… You know, I'm not actually that averse to bugs. At all. See, as a botanist, I've come into contact with a lot of them over the years. But these guys… They'd be cute if there wasn't HALF A MILLION OF THEM CRAWLING AROUND THE PLACE! - Brittany

Oh sweet Elizabeth, they're everywhere! Alph, Brittany, to the battle stations at once! We'll take them down one at a-! Oh, they're not really doing anything. … Well, it's rather nice to have a swarm of creatures that aren't ACTIVELY giving us trouble. - Captain Charlie

Author Notes - Can you tell that I really wanted to make another Star Trek reference? It's all I've been watching for the past few months.

The exciting discoveries don't stop here, because next time we FINALLY get to talk about a mature Whiskerpillar!