Hangerundi
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The hangerundi split from its ancestor and has moved out of the caves. One of the most important changes in this species is that the queens are now photosynthetic. Using a pigment derived from the chlorophyll like blood pigment of plents (itself derived from chlorophyll) they have regained photosynthesis in the more vascularized portions of the body. Although in the workers and soldiers, this is only in the ears. The queen's skin is highly vascularized with only other pigments to protect from harmful radiation. In addition the queen's body included large membranes suspended from the limbs which increase light gathering areas.
The species name comes from the queen's behavior of suspending herself by the trunk from berry arbourshroom branches. Indeed an adult queen is immobile and remains attached to the same place for her entire adult life. Nutrients and water are brought by the workers.
A new colony begins when a group of soldiers leaves the old colony with many berry arbourshroom seeds. This brigade will attempt to establish a grove of berry arbourshrooms which will act as a scaffold for new queens. The strongest amongst the soldiers will become a king, suppressing the fertility of the others. Once a year the established hives send out juvenile queens, which at this point in development look like the other casts, these new queens seek out berry arbourshroom clusters to attach themselves to. Because they only get one shot at it they are extremely picky about where they settle down and thus new kings, and even established ones, attempt to make their grove the most attractive to new queens.
A hive can have more than one queen, generally not related, but only one king. When the old king dies one of the soldiers rises to become the new king. Because the suppression of non-king soldiers is pheromone based exceptionally large hives can fission as isolated parts develop their own kings.
Because of their method of reproduction they have spread the berry arbourshroom across their range.
Gallery
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Worker. Artwork by OviraptorFan
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Soldier/"King".
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Queen.
Living Relatives (click to show/hide)
