Author Notes - Alright, now we finally get a good look (kinda) at the mature form of the Whiskerpillars! More specifically, it's based on an unused enemy found in the code of Pikmin 1. Haven't done that in a while.
WHISKERPILLAR FAMILY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES
I did it. I DID IT! I solved the mystery behind the Whiskerpillar lifecycle! I have singlehandedly made one of the greatest discoveries on this planet!
…
Okay, so actually, it was a colleague of mine who recommended over the phone that I just follow a group of Whiskerpillars around until they matured. Since, you know, they would mature sooner or later. And, uh, he was right. Which made me look like a complete idiot. I'm starting to suspect they sent me by myself because they figured I would get myself killed. Frankly, I can't say I disagree with them.
But you wanna know what's cool? Since I discovered the mature form of this species, I got naming rights! WOOOO! The real problem was trying to come up with a funny pun that still incorporated fuzz or whiskers somehow. Which was a little difficult. Does it have to be a pun? Yes. Everything else on this planet is a pun, so… Wait, Olimar's the one who named most of these critters. Huh. Guess the famous Captain has a thing for puns too.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCES
The Lepidoptera pluckieus has two notable stages of its life: the larvae form and the mature form. The larvae form is known as the Whiskerpillar, and is the namesake of the family. It is a caterpillar-like creature with an orange head and a yellow body consisting of five segments in total. Its name is derived from the brown whisker-like hairs on the front of its head.
The mature form has been named 'Shaggifly' by yours truly. It is much like an antlion or dragonfly, with a long body and two pairs of translucent wings. Its eyes are big and blue, and its entire body is covered in what appears to be shiny metal. This is actually its hair, which is fine and shimmering. It retains the whisker-like hairs from its larvae form.
HABITAT
Whiskerpillars and Shaggiflies are found in the same areas, though Shaggiflies are far less common. They can be found wherever Burgeoning Spiderworts can be found, extending their territories to just about anywhere that isn't frozen over.
DIET AND DEFENCES
Regardless of which stage in their life cycle they are in, members of the Whiskerpillar family will eat the berries that grow on Burgeoning Spiderworts. In fact, it is all they seem to eat.
Whiskerpillars will climb the berry trees and consume all five berries (regardless of flavour) in a matter of seconds, falling off the plant when all the berries are gone and moving onto the next one. Shaggiflies will swoop down to pick up a single berry into their mouths, consuming it in the air. Whiskerpillars require far more food than Shaggiflies to survive and grow.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Members of this family form life-long bonds with others of their kind. A group of Whiskerpillars, often but not necessarily from the same batch of eggs, will stick together through their entire lifespan if the world permits it. This serves primarily for self-preservation purposes, for they survive far more easily in numbers, but they have demonstrated signs of sadness if they are separated or their 'friends' are killed.
COURTING AND CHILDREARING
A fully-mature Shaggifly will fly with its group of friends across large distances, just to find another mate. Mating between friends is common, though males will continue to seek out more females. Any female will come along, even if she already has eggs ready. Males will attempt to impress females by flying loops in the air, with varying degrees of size and complexity.
The female will lay her eggs in the earth, right next to Spiderworts. This ensures their safety and access to food. The eggs are left by themselves, and the rate of survival is not especially high. Upon hatching, the Whiskerpillars appear to have inherent knowledge of where the surface is and will immediately dig upwards for the nearest Spiderwort plant. They will continue to consume these berries until it is time to pupate.
OTHER NOTES
Whiskerpillars take an abnormally long time to reach maturity, compared to other of their kin. It can take up to six months for a hatched Whiskerpillar to pupate. This is part of the reason why it took so long to find a mature specimen.
NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS
Whiskerpillar -
This is a creature that was clearly designed to annoy, not so much be an actual threat. It has no interest in hurting us or our Pikmin, but it's addicted to eating the berries we need to make sprays. Creepily enough, they don't seem to, well, DIE when we attack them. When a Pikmin carried one back to the onion, it was still squirming around. Ew... - Alph
One of the worst creatures in this whole ecosystem! The way they gobble up the berries that we need without remorse is simply despicable. And their appearance… FAR too similar to a certain captain that I'd rather not think about! - Brittany
Brittany really doesn't like these caterpillars. I don't particularly like them either, but she seems to hate them with a passion. I can't help but wonder if it's because their gluttony reminds her too much of her own flaws. After all, I find that people don't like seeing their own flaws looking back at them. - Captain Charlie
Shaggifly -
We should be thankful this critter only likes to eat berries, because otherwise it would be the most efficient hunter on this planet. It moves around at insane speeds and has a powerful set of jaws. Lucky for us, all this went to a herbivore that doesn't even bother with us. - Alph
I want to like this guy more than the caterpillars, but... I think I actually like it LESS. It still eats those precious berries, except now it swoops down from the sky and we can't stop it! Oh, and somehow, it STILL looks way too much like a certain captain! - Brittany
Watch out! It may be harmless to us, but it'll gobble up all those precious berries before you even have a chance to see it! The only hope you have is to gather those berries quickly, before you even see it. If it's in the sky, you're already too late. - Captain Charlie
Author Notes - I once raised a caterpillar into a butterfly and released it. I almost felt like a goddamn parent by the end of the experience. It isn't something I've actually done since. Maybe I'll get on that.
Anyway, enough of these boring entries. We're doing the big guns now. Entering... THE ARMOURED MAWDAD!
