Vunlodir Beetle
The Vunlodir Beetle is a parasitic beetle found native to the town of Vunlodir and the region of the Artillery Testing Zone. These beetles are famous for causing the Brain Bug infection, where an egg from the beetle grows in the hosts brain, and eventually takes over all motor functions, leaving the host trapped in their own body. The eggs infect the host primarily through eating contaminated food, and one of the eggs being able to break through the blood brain barrier. While the disease they cause sounds quiet terrifying, the beetles themselves are extremely rare, and them being able to cause an infection is even rarer, so extra precaution does not need to be taken specifically to prevent this disease.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The beetles are part of the family Scarabaeidae, having a stout body, with a bright purple metallic color. They are only around 10-15mm in size, with clubbed antennae. They have broad front legs, used for burrowing in and our of their hosts. Their eggs or larvae have never been well documented, so their exact presentation is unknown
Growth Rate & Stages
The exact life cycle of a vunlodir beetle is not fully known, as most the time the infection isn't discovered until the host has died. The hypothesis is that the beetles can only mature inside a brain, so their lifecycle begins with the eggs contaminating food. It is unknown if there is some food source that is preferred over another, but it is proposed that carrion or carcasses found in the badlands of the Artillery Testing Zone might be a target, infecting scavengers that consume the infected flesh. This theory is disputed, as no scavenger animal such as vultures have ever shown evidence of a brain bug infection.
Once the eggs enter the host, it is believed they try to pass via the bloodstream through the blood brain barrier. Most of the eggs are presumed to die here, which apart from how rare the beetles are, is also a reason why infection is so rare. If an egg does make it through, it burrows itself in the rear of the brain, and begins to grow in the rear of the brain in the cerebellum. As it matures, it begins to take over the hosts motor functions, until eventually the host has no more control. What exactly happens at this point is only based off anecdotal accounts, but it seems that the host no longer wants for food or water (as the beetle is unaware of the needs of the host). For this reason, the host oftentimes soon dies from dehydration or starvation. Once the host has died, the beetle digs its way out of the back of the skull, straight through the occipital bone, based off forensic analysis (this event has never been witnessed). It is believed that the fully matured beetle travels off to infect another host. Vunlodir Beetles are not typically found in swarms, traveling alone. Their exact life expectancy outside of a host is not known.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The beetles exact food source is unknown, however in some form the brain of their host is required for maturation. The beetle may have another way of maturing outside a host, but none is known.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Vunlodius
Geographic Distribution
Comments