From Wikimalia
The Bug Collection
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Blorthoi's Helm Beetle
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Habitat: | All but cold climes.
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Description: | Strange-looking by almost all standards, this bluish-violet insect is most distinguished by its grossly oversized forelegs, whose spread is greater than the beetle's overall length --- a formidable three thums. Its rear sets of legs are of even length, splayed in a fashion similar to a tick's (the middle pair forward, the rear pair backward), and can deliver powerful kicks. Its multifaceted eyes sparkle in the dimmest light, beneath an elongated pair of wiry antennae. Most noteworthy of this odd insect is the uncanny resemblance its carapace coloration bears to a dwarvish face, including a red beard and horned helmet, from which its name derives.
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Notes: | The beetle's diet consists mainly of green leafy vegetables, tubers and legumes.
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Named for the contour of their carapaces which vaguely resemble a horned helmet (King Blorthoi of Thurmogard was reputed to have worn one constantly), these flightless beetles are a voracious garden pest, denuding tubers and legumes of their leaves. On occasion, they will also kill and eat hihn thumworms, a direct competitor for this food supply. They may be found anywhere except in cold climes.
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