Image of a beetle in Level 204
HABITAT(S): Majority
Description:
Beetles are inch-long insects resembling the Frontrooms Phloeodes Diabolicus beetle and are almost identical save their impressive ability to explode with the force of a small firework.1 While beetles do possess elytra2, they cannot fly, as they do not have wings. They possess high intelligence3 and are predatory in nature.
Behavior:
Beetles are predators that hunt in swarms.4
While hunting they will keep to the shadows until they find prey. Once spotting their prey
they will attempt to enter any opening into flesh and detonate, causing the death of the beetle. This process will continue until the creature expires from either internal bleeding or the swarm runs out of beetles. The remaining swarm will then proceed to consume and reproduce inside of the carcass until eventually repeating the process. During the time in which the beetles are reproducing, the swarm becomes increasingly aggressive. It should be noted that Beetles pose a real, tangible threat in areas with dense foliage where the ground is not visible due to their small size and ability to hide. Beetles naturally avoid any entrance into any sort of level, and reside on the level they are rendered in. This is likely to avoid entering a sparsely populated level. The only way for beetles to spread is through deliberate transportation via travelers or random no-clipping. Beetles will immediately self-terminate upon entry into a Sublevel, or Enigmatic Level where entities are not present. This applies even if there are wanderers on the said level. This does not apply to Normal Levels. Beetles also tend to avoid areas of high human/entity population, despite their ability to easily kill and consume any wanderer in the level they inhabit. The reason the beetles avoid high population density areas is unknown, but it is believed that the swarm would diminish faster than it would reproduce. Beetles are unique in the sense that they attack both wanderers and entities. Beetle swarms will ignore a wanderer if they are already being pursued by an entity and instead pursue the entity. How the beetle gains its supply of firesalt is unknown, however, it is believed that they are capable of converting the flesh of their prey into firesalt. Beetles exclusively consume meat because of the high amount of energy stored in flesh, and will take chase over larger prey if presented with multiple choices. Much of this indicates that beetles prefer to attack entities over humans, this applies to passive entities and humanoid entities. It is believed that beetles possess some sort of hive intelligence as when attacking, a small group will stay back, presumably to ensure the survival of the swarm if the attack proves unsuccessful.
Biology:
Beetles are almost exact copies of the frontrooms counterpart save for the small storage of firesalt
in their abdomen5, and the lack of wings. While their main method of attack is to detonate the firesalt, they also possess the ability to ignite it, which when done in multitudes, can prove dangerous6. One notable (unfortunate) similarity to the real life alternate of the beetle is the its extreme resistance to crushing forces. Because of this, it is recommended that you do not engage beetles unless you have firesalt, or some other volatile substance. Beetles, being beetles, are not incredibly speedy and can be outpaced at a fast-walking speed.7 A beetle's life cycle is similar to its non-anomalous version, with an egg stage and an adult stage. Interestingly, the beetle simply skips the larval and pupal stages, causing the beetle to hatch from the egg fully functional and stocked with firesalt. Beetles harbor the unnatural ability to keep the firesalt within them completely innate until ready for use by keeping it in its liquid state until it is needed. The liquid firesalt (or pyroil) is not able to be set off while the beetle is alive. However, once a beetle has been killed, the firesalt will lose these anomalous properties immediately, causing it to resume its solid state. While the firesalt is unable to detonate prematurely, the beetles are quite susceptible to temperature, eventually dying within 19 Co to 40 Co8. The cooler the temperature, the less the beetles seem to reproduce. This is likely a result of more energy being required to keep the firesalt in its liquid state. When approaching hotter temperatures the beetle is unable to handle the excess heat from the firesalt reacting, and simply defecates a small portion of the firesalt, maintaining the temperature. If the temperature is too high they will lose all reserves of firesalt and any offensive capabilities.
Discovery:
Beetle swarms were discovered by an expedition team sent into Level 21, when they came across the mutilated body of a reviook, approaching the body the beetles were seen crawling inside, and promptly attempted to attack the expedition members. All members were able to escape through Level 9 into Level 11 and reported to M.E.G. Base β to report the new entity.
Expedition Summary
During an expedition into Level 21 a M.E.G. agent was able to capture a beetle inside of a plastic container. Upon sealing the container, the beetle immediately ignited the firesalt within its abdomen, burning a hole through the container and injuring the wanderer. The light from the ignition alerted several nearby entities, forcing the expedition to be called off. The beetles seem to only use this ability in situations pertaining to getting "through" materials.9
Do's and Don'ts
Do
- Wear face protection when exploring isolated levels.
- Keep away from corpses with little to no external damage.
- Attempt to escape to a different level.
Don't
- Sleep where swarms of beetles have been reported.
- Slow down until out of sight of beetles when fleeing.