Desert Punctureworm

The desert punctureworm split from its ancestor. When vegetation is distributed in such a way that punctureworms, after rainfall or a particularly damp morning for example, have to congregate to feed, and there is sufficient moisture for a lot of eggs to hatch, the close physical contact causes the worms to bump up against one another. This stimulus triggers a cascade of metabolic and behavioral changes that cause the worms to transform from the solitary form to the gregarious form. The gregarious worms give off a pheromone that causes them to be attracted to each other, subsequently causing a swarm formation.

The desert punctureworms are semi-diurnal. They sleep during the night, and are slightly active during the day. The peak times for activity are dawn and dusk, however. Though still primarily a pallinivore, the worms are capable of eating flora as well. In order to feed on flora, punctureworms will use their "tongue-like" appendage to piece into them, where it will take in water and nutrients.

Desert punctureworms fly by using the air current vortexes caused by the flapping of their wings to help generate lift. They are able to conserve energy by alternating which pair of wings flap at which interval. This tends to cause the worms to sometimes look like they are bobbing up and down in the air. They are capable of erratic flight patterns and can fly quickly if threatened.

Desert puncture worms will often lay their eggs on the underside edge of a trunkpuff or a desert trunkpuff, although the eggs are capable of surviving buried under sand.