Bumbus


(BUM-bus)

The bumbus is one of the oldest insects in Subeta, though its rediscovery was quite recent - hives formed in the Blue Building in Centropolis lead to the reintroduction of the bumbus, and now they are found all over Subeta, in nearly every environment save the coldest areas of the Arctic Frost.

Bumbii are slightly larger than their distant relative, the illumis, and fit quite snugly into cupped hands. At a mere 1.5-2 lbs (.68-.9 kg), they are compact little creatures with paper-thin wings and a rather non-threatening stinger. A bumbus's body is covered in a small layer of fuzz, similar to the down on a baby mallarchy. Their vision is rather poor when it comes to individual details, but they can see far more colors than many other animals on Subeta, helping them find the brightest and biggest flowers. Since they bear the title of Subeta's best pollinators, their sight is definitely their most important sense! In fact, their other senses are rather poor.

Queen Bea, the well-renowned bumbus queen, is a unique entity among her species, as she is the only bumbus that is truly sentient and can speak. Other bumbii communicate by sounds not audible to human ears, as well as by their individual dances and graceful movements. They live in vast colonies where they are lead by the largest of the clan, generally a female bee known as the duchess (out of respect for Queen Bea, of course). There are cases of a large male, called the duke, leading the clan as well. Breeding is either left to the duchesses or to a small group of the biggest females. All bumbii tend to the care of the larvae, and they can become quite protective of the young - in fact, it is one of the only times you will see a bumbus use their stinger. A sting does not cause death to the bumbus, but afterwards they must rest for several hours to regain their strength.

Keeping bumbii as pets has become more and more popular throughout Subeta. Once kept only by professional apiculturists, new ways of keeping small hives in small spaces has allowed anyone with even the tiniest garden space to keep their own bumbii! They can become quite fond of their keepers, and they are more than happy to share their honey with those that they trust. In addition to the type of flowers they eat, a bumbus's honey is affected by their coloring. Dawn and lilac bumbii have a very sweet honey that makes the perfect drizzle on desserts and fresh fruit, while sun and cherry bumbii produce a vibrant, rich honey that is wonderful for sauces. Glade bumbii have the most coveted honey of all for culinary preparation, but some colors - especially graveyard and nightmare - produce a honey that creates quite the euphoric high. Producing honey from these bumbii in captivity is closely regulated, and there is quite the demand for this honey in the less savory areas of Centropolis and Lower Ziara.


Bumbus has been viewed 5,656 times.

[Search]