Topic
So what even is the deal with that mosquito thing
There doesn't seem to be any in-game lore about it, it doesn't talk to you unless it's taunting you to jump somewhere, and it's totally unselectable always. I can't figure out whose side it's on. On the one hand, I don't entirely trust it, but then again, it's brought me through three beautiful seasons...
Replies
- Mosquito thing, Who do you mean, that Autumns day girl, since you said seasons thats what it makes me think
- I thought it was a Hummingbird?
- The random flapping bird thing in each of the vendor quests.
- Ohhhhh I see which mosquito thing you mean, i thought it was just a peacefull bird
- It's the Rook! From the days before the big falling out with the Giants. That's my headcanon, anyway.
- i thought whatever the thing is in autumn's day looked different from the bird in the other vendor quests. up until now it just looked like a hawk type silouhette (too lazy to google the correct spelling, heh) but the one in autumn's day seemed to have more detail and different features.
- Translucent wings? Crooked proboscis? A single curled line for a tail? (Unless the curled line is the proboscis, in which case I rest my case.) I stand by my insect judgement until GOD says otherwise. :)
- Based on the sound file, it looks like this creature is called flitterbug.
- TomC, you are a marvel.
-
That long proboscis is obviously for sucking the blood of its victims as they writhe helplessly in its scratchy insectile grasp. That thing on the tail is certainly some kind of stinger, perhaps delivering venom that attacks and destroys the central nervous system, or maybe some kind of slower, but equally-deadly, virus.
How much do I love the flitterbug? THIS MUCH. - Aw, what a positive and lovely picture you've painted, Sirentist! I love the flitterbug, too, now!
-
Well... it's not an Earthland mosquito, that's for sure: it clearly has two pairs of wings, and mosquitoes are from the order Diptera, which are characterized by only one set of functional wings. (their second pair of wings are reduced to small nubs that you can only see if you get really close) Furthermore, the distal wings look smaller than the frontal ones, which make it seem more like a bee or a butterfly. (there do exist butterflies with partially transparent wings)
The curled bit - is that it's tail? I thought the curled bit was its proboscis... which would support the Butterfly Theory, since Earthland butterflies have a curled up tongue (bees have a straight tongue).
...I'm not a biology geek or anything ;) -
I always thought it was a giant fire fly.
Maybe it's a moth. -
Miss Portinari-- I like your brand of geek,
--Me -
I think the Butterfly Theory is pretty decisively disproven by the fact that there already are butterflies in Ur. (It could be argued that Bees! are also accounted for.)
That said, Miss P's encyclopedic knowledge of insect wings is outstanding and should be applied to all mysterious winged silhouettes from this point on. -
I think it's a moth. *shudder* Quite possibly a hawk moth.
I do not like moths at all - any insect that is likely to fly into you without any apparent reason is an insectum non gratum in my eyes. This includes moths (the larger, the worse) and junebugs. Reserving judgement on other insects until they try to pull off the same stunt. With mosquitoes, at least I know where I stand: they want my blood, I try to swat them whenever I notice them. XD - I thought it was a dragonfly. Those a pretty harmless.
- Miss Portinari, you are awesome!:)
- Phoenix?
-
Okay, fine. Don't believe me. I understand some people may be reluctant to accept the terrifying truth of an otherworldly beast, spawned from the frightening depths of some Giant's darker side, a creature whose anatomy conforms to no known earthly model and whose entire purpose in life is to get you alone in some dark quest somewhere and then randomly ambush you just when you've convinced yourself everything is safe. So project your foofy harmless butterfly desires and your needs for scientific coherence onto it if you must.
But when one day you find yourself twitching helplessly on the ground, feeling the paralyzing venom as it courses through your veins, hearing only the sinister flap of giant, powdery wings above you and the sound of your own faltering heartbeat in your ears, looking up at the scaly, undulating underbelly of the flitterbug as it hovers, waiting, its proboscis curling and uncurling hungrily -- well, on that day, don't come running to me. - I'm pretty sure that flitterbug = giant, venomous hawk moth. >_<
- Undulating underbelly is such a perfect alliteration, Sirentist!
- it's the rook.
-
The one thing I know for certain -- it is NOT a mosquito. If it were, it would have bitten me the first time it saw me, and I would have blown up like a puffer fish.
I do agree with Sirentist that this is definitely not of Earth, but is a true Urthly creature. However, I always see it as some sort of exotic hummingbird. To support this perception, you might want to check out some of these birds (see also the PBS documentary "Birds of the Gods").
Also, I am totally gobsmacked by Miss P's knowledge of entymology. - The deliciously wicked Zilleweeny vibe of Sirentist's post was compromised somewhat when I misread her threat as "get you alone in some dark quest somewhere and then randomly airbrush you."
- I'm not sure the threat of a sudden random airbrush should be misunderestimated, PQ!
- *brandishes airbrush threateningly*
-
This entire thread is full of win.
Also, that thing is CLEARLY a flying scorpion. - I was also going to guess that it was a moth! The wings and curly tongue apparatus seem to suggest something moth-like.
- Could be a wasp.
- My mother once told me that when she was young they called dragonflies 'sewing beetles.' Because children then sometimes believed they could fly up and sew your mouth shut.
- I also vote moth. I didn't know there was a question on this, really.
- MOTHRA!!!
- It's hard to run anywhere (nevermind to Sirentist) when you're paralyzed. Just sayin'.
-
Aha! I knew that there was a closeup of the flitterbug somewhere, and Anthropocene has managed to capture it on film. How anyone could have thought THAT was a bird is beyond me.
(Also, definitely curled schnozz, not curled tail. Science!) - That's a great closeup! It looks sort of like... an elephant fly??!
- I think it is a Rook before it turned to the Dark side. * said in Darth Vader voice. ( but really more like minnie mouse)
- It's a horror bug, and it is scary. What if I don't want to touch it, TS? How will I ever make it through the inevitable spring quest? What then? HMMMM???