Beetles were insects found in many places and variations on Toril, often in giant sizes.
Biology[]
Most species of beetle lacked good eyesight or hearing. Because of this, they primarily relied upon their tactile and taste senses. The latter was done by means of their antennae.[3]
Species[]
- Aratha, otherwise known as "killer beetles," were a rare species of psionic beetle that had been hunted to near-extinction.[4]
- Bark beetles were a mundane species of beetle found in the forests of Cormanthor. They were known to burrow underneath the bark of trees and treants to lay their eggs inside.[5]
- Carrion beetle
- Crimson Lake beetle, a species of mundane beetles that were endemic to the Great Anauroch.[6]
- Deathmirror beetle
- Dung beetles, a species of mundane beetles, often used as derogatory insult.[7]
- Emperor beetles were an extremely rare species of giant beetle, prized for their iridescent shells.[8]
- Giant bombardier beetles were able to emit an acid cloud that burned enemies.[9]
- Giant boring beetles were large and favored eating wood.[9]
- Giant fire beetles were about 2‑foot-long (61‑centimeter) nocturnal insects. They had two glands, one above each eye, that produced a red glow.[10]
- Giant rhinoceros beetles were a monstrous variety of rhinoceros beetle, typically found in tropical or subtropical jungles.
- Giant scarab beetles, which could be up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) long, were found in many locations in the Underdark.[11]
- Giant stag beetles were a monstrous variety of stag beetles.
- Goldbugs, a parasitic species endemic to Zakhara that resembled the gold coins found in that land.[12]
- Shrub beetles, a mundane species of beetle found in Cormanthor. They were known for jumping into the River Ashaba to cool off, but often sank and drowned in the process.[13]
- Slicer beetles were a rare species of giant beetle that bore a resemblance to the giant stag species, but were distant relatives of death watch beetles.[14]
- Stink beetles could produce miasmal stench in self-defense.[15]
- Swamp beetles were a species of giant beetles found in the Mere of Dead Men on the Sword Coast.[16]
- Tangler beetles were a species of giant beetle notable for their adhesive saliva.
- Water beetle
- Weevils were mundane pests that fed on grains and flours.[17]
Ecology[]
Diet[]
In general, these creatures were liable to eat almost any form of organic matter tasted by their antennae, even other species of beetle. Each species tended to have dietary preferences.[3] Those that lived in the Underdark were often fungivores.[18]
Giant beetles ground and crushed whatever they ate with their mandibles, making it difficult to revive consumed organisms.[3]
Habitats[]
Shrub beetles were found in Cormanthor.[13] Bombardier, boring, fore, and stag beetles were typically found in midwood.[19] A wide variety of giant beetles could be found in the Underdark.[18]
Aggressive carnivorous giant beetles could be found within upper layers of Undermountain, notably, in the Garden of the Drow and nearby Temple of Bane.[20]
Outside of the Prime Material plane, giant beetles could be found living in the trunk of Yggdrasil the World Ash.[21]
Relationships[]
Some races within the Underdark kept giant beetles as livestock.[18] They were one of the many Underdark creatures that the duergar of Fraaszummdin raised and trained, which they used to defend their city.[22]
The military of Thay sometimes outfitted its soldiers with giant beetles as mounts.[23]
Trivia[]
The noh play Lady Sei featured an anthropomorphized beetle by the name of Minbu.[24]
Appendix[]
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Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Novels
- Referenced only
- The Ring of Winter
- Video Games
- Descent to Undermountain • Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ Monstrous Compendium pages included in Ed Greenwood (March 1993). The Ruins of Myth Drannor. Edited by Newton H. Ewell. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-5607-6569-0.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Cormanthor”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 27. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
- ↑ Clayton Emery (January 1999). Star of Cursrah. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 13. ISBN 0-7869-1322-3.
- ↑ Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 285. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur (March 1996). “The Dragon's Bestiary: Monsters of the Underdark”. In Pierce Watters ed. Dragon #227 (TSR, Inc.), p. 23.
- ↑ Monstrous Compendium included in Tim Beach, Tom Prusa and Steve Kurtz (1993). City of Delights. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-56076-589-5.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Cormanthor”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 22. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Jon Pickens ed. (November 1996). Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 0786904496.
- ↑ BioWare (June 2002). Designed by Brent Knowles, James Ohlen. Neverwinter Nights. Atari.
- ↑ Obsidian Entertainment (October 2006). Designed by Ferret Baudoin, J.E. Sawyer. Neverwinter Nights 2. Atari.
- ↑ Joseph C. Wolf (1999). Skullport. (TSR, Inc), p. 70. ISBN 0-7869-1348-7.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 110. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Cormanthor”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 10. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Interplay (December 1997). Designed by Chris Avellone, Robert Hanz. Descent to Undermountain. Interplay.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Travelogue”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 42. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 150. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 15. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Rick Swan (1990). Test of the Samurai. (TSR, Inc), p. 65. ISBN 0-88038-775-0.