Fortress

synkolliménos exoplanoplia ("Welded External Armor" )

Convergent Evolution.

Physical Biometrics:

Wingspan:  none.

Length: ~13 cm / 5.12 in

Weight / Mass: 50-80 grams

Distribution and Environment:

Tropical forest floor, usually underneath logs and rocks, or in crevasses.

Description:

They are most active around the bottom of the forest floor, usually hiding under rocks or logs. They feed on mineral rich soil crust as well as dead leaves. It also feeds on various mineral rich roots. They live rather monotonous lives.

Evolution / Anatomy:

Elytra have fused together. Flight is lost. The elytra interconnects to form a bastion of a protective shell around its abdomen. Various "osteoderm" like indentations have developed similar to the real world Asbolus Verrucosus. Its Pronotum has sloped around its head, creating a hoodlike shield to guard the head. Its tibial exoskeletal plates as well as its tibial spines / spurs have been exaggerated into "limb shields. Its head horns are reduced, among males they are a bit more pronounced, the reduction is presumably to have less jutted out areas of the body for predators to grab onto.

The most fascinating thing about this beetle however is its exoskeleton, similar to the real world Zopherini beetles. Its Procuticle, consisting of the Exocuticle & Endocuticle has been uniquely sclerotized, utilizing various protein matrixes α ( Alpha )-chitin, arranged in a helicoidal (like twisted plywood) specifically in the endocuticle to create an extremely pressure resistant exoskeleton.  

However even more interesting is that it has biomineralization in its epicuticle, something that should be counterintuitive with an exoskeleton thats meant to deform as its exposed to pressure. Its epicuticle's biomineralization is composed of Calcium Carbonate  (CaCO3) , where its extremely rigid and solid, able to bear much more force then something made to deform. However once that force is achieved, rather then bending or being compressed, the material fractures. This aspect is layered on top of the Procuticle to maximize off of both, with the hardened rigid layer serving as a first barrier towards tremendous stress, and if breached the underlying layers to distribute the force.

This has allowed it to resist the bite forces of nearly any predator that it has approached, leaving it intact and unscathed.

This strange exoskeleton serves as an early reminder of what's to come, as this innovation may serve a different purpose in the arthropods of Hoxia later on.

Known Descendants: 

( N / A, coming soon )