Sovereign Wasps

Sovereign wasps *(Volucexero sublimis),* also known as “Glitterbugs” or “Ferasparks”, are one of the native lifeforms to Sovereign. They are inaccurately named, as they are not technically wasps, but a small creature similar in design to a moth, although they do possess both a venomous stinger and pinching mandibles. They are red and black in color, with a body divided into four predominant sections: the head, primary thorax, secondary thorax, and abdomen. They have a total of eight legs, divided up among the thoraxes, and four large wings. These are covered in fine hairs, making the Sovereign wasp look extremely fuzzy and soft. This is an adaptation against the cold temperatures on Sovereign’s surface and at the high altitudes this insect flies.

The Sovereign wasp also has four very large, sensitive antennae that function as not just sensors, but also as a method of detecting smells. As such, the Sovereign wasp has an incredibly keen sense of smell, often able to track its way across miles of desert to locate its targets. Much like most bees on Earth, the Sovereign wasp fills the role of pollinator, visiting numerous flowering plants and collecting their pollen for its own uses. Unconventionally, they also collect seeds from various plants as well, carrying as many as four back to their elaborate hives at once (depending on size).

Sovereign wasps have another unique adaptation that helps them survive the harsh climates of their home planet, particularly during the frigid winters. The tiny hairs all across their bodies can vibrate incredibly fast, building up enough friction to generate heat. This is where the “glitterbug” nickname comes from. When generating these high temperatures, sometimes in excess of three-hundred degrees, the Sovereign wasp will glow with a sparkling, reddish-orange light. This has also led to them being called “firebugs”, as they have the propensity to inadvertently set things ablaze. Their flight patterns are extremely fast, erratic, and unpredictable — much like a hummingbird — but they are not normally considered aggressive.

While they are capable of biting or stinging, they are more prone to avoiding Heil or other large creatures. This is not the case when dealing with their nests, however, as they are extremely territorial. Sovereign wasps spend most of their lives aiding in the construction of huge, elaborate hives. These massive structures are made from a combination of materials, and it varies depending on the region in which the hive is found. Most are made of plant matter, mud or clay, seed remnants and casings and sometimes even small bones. The engineering that goes into these towering insect cities has been long studied by the Heil, and it is widely agreed upon among Heil scholars that initial breakthroughs in architecture likely came from studying these hives.

The most notable aspect of the Sovereign wasps isn’t their behavior, architecture, or biology — it’s their use to the Heil civilization and their integral part in numerous cultural pastimes. Unlike wasps (but again, more like bees) Sovereign wasps process the pollen they collect into a sticky substance similar in nature to honey (called “kaash”). This semi-liquid substance is stored in their hives in large chambers and regularly harvested by the Heil. Like beekeepers on Earth, some Heil have even devoted their lives to raising their own personal hives of Sovereign wasps. An entire agricultural science has been developed around this practice as well, involving not just the care and raising of the Sovereign wasps, but also various methods to produce different flavors of kaash. Kaash is harvested raw and then mixed with a variety of different pollens and herbs before being consumed. In some cases, no further alteration to the kaash is necessary. Adventurous Heil have taken to fermenting it (creating “dishak”) which can be further distilled into “fera” — something similar to alcohol.

Furthermore, this entire process can be further subdivided three different groups. One group performs this entire process using nothing more than natural materials, plants, fruits, pollen, and fibers to produce very earthy and grounded flavors. Another group involves meat, as the Sovereign wasp is not averse to a carnivorous diet if presented with it. As such, some Heil have splintered off and begun producing kaash, dishak and fera using meat and proteins. The third group has taken to producing hallucinogenic or mind-altering variants by mixing in toxicants known to produce such effects. Popular choices either include bonebloom pollen (*Erythrosepta arenanthos*) or the venom from valsom worms (*Archaeobranch carcinodraconis*). Sale and consumption of these substances is not prohibited by law but is restricted in certain places on Sovereign.

The Sovereign wasps are perhaps best known for their relationship with the Glombar trees (*Megalorepens vitrafolium*). As they use scent to communicate and find their way back to their hives, these trees have learned to produce a very similar scent that can confuse them. As such, Sovereign wasps end up laying their eggs or depositing their larvae within the seed pods of the trees instead of the correct hive. This results in the newborn wasps being co-opted as a seed dispersal method which ultimately results in their deaths. In an ideal cycle, Sovereign wasps begin as eggs which are carried internally for the first portion of their lives until enough of a membrane has formed to keep them safe outside of the mother’s body. These eggs are then deposited in the hives where workers care for them, moving them around and modulating the internal temperature of the hatcheries for optimal growth.

Upon hatching into larvae (after about ten days), the eggs are fed with the kaash being stored in the hives. They grow rapidly, shedding their larval forms within another five days and reaching maturity after nine. Unlike ant or bee colonies on Earth, however, the wasp hives on Sovereign have something of an internal monarchy. Both a King and a Queen are present and produce the vast majority of the eggs in the hive. These eggs are then ingested by workers and carried in a special stomach designed to carry up to eight eggs at once. Once the eggs have ‘matured’, they are regurgitated into the hatcheries. Close examination shows that to avoid genetic sterility and an evolutionary bottleneck, the eggs actually take on the DNA from their surrogate parent, resulting in each newborn wasp having three genetically distinct parents.

There are very few, if any, main distinctions between male and females of the species. Males are slightly larger than females and are more aggressive. They can also attain hotter temperatures with their fur. Females are the smaller of the two but have a more potent venom in their stingers. Whereas the venom from a male can cause mild burning and discomfort, the venom from a female also contains a paralytic agent. This becomes problematic when considering the swarming behavior of agitated Sovereign wasps, in which multiple stings from females can result in total body paralysis or even death.