Corkscrew Krugg

The corkscrew krugg lays its eggs on the skin of rainforest phlocks, preferably on wounds. The tiny (1 mm) larvae hatch within thirty minutes and burrow into the skin, where they feed on the Rainforest Phlock's sap-like plent blood. After a year they emerge and jump off the Rainforest Phlock's backs, where they find a safe spot to complete their final molt. The final molt is orange to blend in with Rainforest Phlock skin. The adult corkscrew kruggs congregate around Rainforest Phlock dung, which is, as typical for plents, much like an owl pellet. They then mate and seek out more Rainforest Phlocks to lay eggs in. The adults don't live long and can drink only liquid foods, in this case sap and sweat of Rainforest Phlocks, and any fluids they find in Rainforest Phlock dung. Like most kruggs, the larvae resemble thornworms, with the closest resemblance to beach thornworms. Unlike thornworms, they have comparatively weak and very pale exoskeletons, no exposed red parts between segments, six articulated spike-like limbs and vestigial eyes. Within a week the larvae change to a creamy grub-like second form with a greater resemblance to an adult krugg. This transformation is controlled by hormones produced by the gut and visual lobes of the larvae's brain, and will only happen in a dark, warm, moist environment with plenty of nutrition. If a corkscrew krugg larvae does not have eyes or its gut cannot properly produce hormones, it will not transform to its secondary form. Female corkscrew kruggs have an extendable, corkscrew-like abdomen, hence the species' name. They push into the flesh of exposed wounds and lay eggs as deeply into the wound as they can. This makes it harder for the host to remove the eggs. If the wound exposes muscle tissue at its deepest point, the larvae is trapped, as it cannot survive in muscle tissue. If the larvae's body remains exposed to the environment and doesn't fall out, it will rot inside the rainforest phlock's body, which can lead to infection of the wound site. If the host has no wounds, the female corkscrew krugg will make a small incision in the skin with her mandibles. Corkscrew kruggs have mandibles hardened by sclerotin. This contributes to their color. The mandibles are also storage sites for orange pigments collected from their food. Corkscrew kruggs with darker mandibles are more attractive to other corkscrew kruggs.