Pincer Beetles

Pincer Beetles are found all around Altera, albeit with their own preferred habitat. They hold a similar appearance to their separated cousins yet hold their own unique sizes, shapes, and coloration. Something all Pincer Beetles share are the two pincers that grant them their name.

## The Gryphon-Beetle

These beetles are long and thin, about the size of a grown-man's hand and are top-predators among insects. They are amazing flyers and shoot through the sky; preying upon smaller insects. They live in 'hives', bringing food into chambers to feed the queen and many larvae. These hives can quickly grow incredibly big. It is not unusual to find a hive of 2 by 2 meters. Air beetle soldiers, those who fly around the hive protecting it, possess two tiny scorpion-like claws at the end of their front legs and will use those to damage possible intruders.

### Habitat

High mountain-peaks, Tall forest trees, Deserts.

### Use in Altera

They eat pests and as such are often employed by farmers as pest-control. They are able to keep the gryphon-beetles like one would keep bees. Farmers keep themselves from being attacked by smoking the nests out and wearing protective thick leather clothing.

## The Spotted Poison-Beetle

Spotted poison-beetles are solitary insects with many purple spots, who live in and near water. They only seek each other out to mate. They lay their eggs in the water. However, these beetles are much like mosquitoes and require blood to ensure their eggs hatch. These beetles are about as big as the palm of the average hand. People notice they are stung by a water beetle by the appearance of purple dots all over their skin. The spots are harmless and are merely the result of the 'poison' being dissolved in the blood, which the bug injects to soften the tissue of the skin before slurping the blood. The subject may feel slightly lightheaded after being stung.

### Habitat

High mountain-peaks, Tall forest trees, Deserts.

### Use in Altera

None positive, a pest through and through, their poison can still be extracted by the clever for more nefarious purpose.

## The Traveler-Beetle

The traveler-beetles live in massive colonies and are often found when someone stumbles upon one of their 'paths'. Like large ant colonies, they form long paths of traffic, made up of hundreds of individual beetles. They clear these paths of debris and cut down anything that may grow on it. They live in nests, to which they carry everything they find in their path. They build these nests on top of rocky outcrops and look very much like termite hills. These beetles do not have the ability to fly. However, once every year, they spin a cocoon around themselves and when they hatch, they all fly out at the same time. Not just the one nest, but all nests simultaneously, searching to spread themselves as far and wide as possible. Most of them die without finding a good spot, however, and a lot of them become food for other creatures.

### Use in Altera

They've got sharp pincers. Sometimes they're used to stitch up a wound, by making them shut tight in the cut and then turning the little arms off; the pincers will remain closed.

## The Lightning-Beetle

The lightning-beetle lives in small swarms of about 10 to 15 individuals. These swarms are often very close to each other and individuals do swap swarms regularly. They can create a spark through means of static electricity by rubbing their wing-caps together very quickly during flight. They do so to attract mates. The swarm itself is constantly alight with white flashes of the sparks of beetles signalling to each other.

### Habitat

Deserts, volcanic areas, and the savannas.

### Use in Altera

The Lightning-Beetle be used as a light-source when put in a jar. It's a challenge however to trap them without getting a couple of shocks.