Burmy typically spend their youth in honey trees, as much because of the ease of life they provide to young pokemon as for the religious significance of Combee nectar. And from birth, they are reminded of its significance to Arceus and the great quadrupedal heroes of Unova, from whose parasites their ancestors descend. But although female Burmy remain devoted to their heroic task once they become Wormadam, honey and evolution drive the male of the species, the Mothim, to stray from their destined path.
Mothim have wings, while Wormadam can only watch the sky, and this dichotomy encourages arrogance among the Mothim. They honor only the legendary birds, reasoning that a pokemon which can not even fly through the air can not possibly be a hero or a god. Mothim do, however, match the pokemon who brought their progenitors to Sinnoh in ambition, raiding Combee hives not for honey, but for the raw nectar of legends themselves, and frequently bugging Arceus to grant them divinity – a petition always answered with the statement that Sinnoh has enough gods already.
Many go so far as to ignore the Wormadam entirely, considering them unworthy matches, and travel long distances to find a lover more similar in form, such as a Butterfree or Volcarona. A few will settle in these far-flung lands, contributing hybrid vigor to colonies of other Lepidopteran pokemon. But for most, their knowledge of the world makes the Mothim all the more aware of their weakness and duties alike. To ensure that Sinnoh have a population of Wormadam forevermore, they will fly home and adorn themselves with sticks or stones or fake horns to resemble one of the three legends in order to draw Wormadam out, for this is the only way that Wormadam are willing to mate.