Ornithopter

ornis pteron ( "bird winged" )

Physical Biometrics:

Wingspan: 25 inches / 65 cm

Length: 9.45 in / 24 cm

Weight / Mass: ~ 130 grams

Distribution and Environment:

They live in a variety of habitats, generally in areas that are humid with numerous other free flying insects. Their larval forms are often found in varying crevasses,

Description:

Spending most of their lives free flying, hovering in the air in search of prey. They take on the ecological role of something similar to dragonflies, although they are not as maneuverable in 3 dimensions since they lack the formers synchronous flight via direct flight musculature. 

They rely their eyesight to spot prey before bursting after their target in a straight line. They sometimes attempt to take down Megawings, but are usually only able to target juveniles as adults are able to cover altitudes and distance that our out of its range. Neither the Ornithopter or its prey is as aerially acrobatic as their old Earth ancestors due to their increased size.

They are no no longer obligate tarantula parasites, and lay their eggs in whatever arthropod they happen to find. Ornithopters have now "devolved" to a more primitive facultative parasitization, where they sometimes paralyze their host, or sometimes just kill them before laying their egg.

The alive or dead body of their victim host containing the egg is then crudely buried or tucked away to be hidden in some crevasse or pit, before being abandoned. 

Although it seems to be more beneficial to paralyze the victim more often so that the newborn larvae has a more fresh carcass to feed on ( rather then emerging form a dead and rotting corpse ), the larvae itself are no longer exclusively reliant on the animal its born from, and are themselves capable predators.

Evolution / Anatomy:

Legs are more diminuitive in order to minimize air resistance and drag, and are tucked to its side. They are primarily used for perching and for tackling prey.

Antennae are diminished, as they are now primarily visually oriented hunters, with extremely acute motion sensitive compound eyes.

Wings are widely built, for more air surface area to conserve flapping energy and continuous forward speed, in exchange for lesser ability to steer.

Stinger / Ovipositor is now partially retractable, and heavily sclerotized to breach the exoskeleton of its prey. Their stinger gland venom has largely transitioned from paralysis and pain inducing to one that's highly neurotoxic and deadly, with an LD50 of 1 mg / kg.. Albeit not as deadly as some other animals, its sufficient to perform the task. 

Mandibles are extremely robust, and primarily relies on crushing force to dispatch prey, with a bite force of nearly ~40-60 newtons.

Known Descendants: 

( N / A, coming soon )