Songbugs

Songbugs (Melodiopteryx) are a genus of amphibiinsects found in tropical and temperate forests across Panapterra. They are among the smallest Pugilopsids, with most species not exceeding ten centimeters in wingspan. They also can't carry as much cargo as most members of their family, generally needing to make many trips in order to collect food for their growing young. In exchange, they've become faster and more agile, able to make such journeys far more quickly than their ancestors could. This allows them to search a wide area for any edible material, bringing it back to their larvae throughout the day. Like all amphibiinsects, the parents use their wings to make a noisy call upon their arrival, alerting the eyeless larvae that food has arrived. This genus has iterated on this ability, building a repertoire of sounds for all forms of intraspecific communication.

Each Melodiopteryx species has its own set of auditory signals, so we'll focus on just one for the sake of simplicity. The Poacherfly (M. captovolans) lives in the Pocketwoodlands of southern Abeli, preying on other small flying insects. Unlike its slow-prey-specialist cousins the falconflies, this species is small and nimble emough to chase down faster targets, with a particular affinity for other Pugilopsid species. This is only possible because of its complex communication system. Using ridges on its hindlegs, it can produce sounds in flight when its wings are in use. Mated pairs cooperate on their hunts, flying together until one spots something that looks appetizing. When it does, it emits a high-pitched chirp, triggering both individuals to initiate their species' signature hunting strategy. The larger female flies high while her mate dips down below the prey, accompanied by a string of quiet clicks that let them keep track of one another at a distance. When both have reached an optimal position, they begin humming at a pitch too low for their prey to hear. The female enters a dive and the male swoops upward, converging as they approach. This leaves little room for escape, granting the poacherfly the highest rate of hunting success of any predator on the planet. 

In some cases, they may not kill their prey immediately, instead removing its legs and antennae so it can be stored and fed to their larvae later. All songbugs build larders of food so they won't run out while raising their young; depending on the food source each species specializes on, gruesome methods like this may be necessary. However, while all songbug adults are carnivorous, some species are already evolving herbivorous or omnivorous larvae. In these cases, seeds, fruit, and leaves may be stashed away instead, and the larvae may even graze on algae that grows in their phytotelmata homes.

Flocks of young adults may travel together until they find a mate, though this typically results in disorganized, uncooperative hunting behaviors. After pairing off, all songbug species mate for life, as it takes the work of two parents to ensure the larvae's successful growth. This isn't to say some "cheating" never takes place, but this is relatively uncommon: roughly 90% of young will be the genetic offspring of both the individuals raising them. Up to twenty eggs are laid at a time, though usually less than a quarter will survive to fledge. Cannibalism is not uncommon, and parents will sometimes intentionally kill their weakest larvae to provide food for the rest if the larder runs low.