Crystalcatchers are PREY/NONTHREATENING.
CavernClanners CAN be based on them.
ART BY: MANGOPAWSS
Crystal Catchers are small hummingbird-like insect creatures with fuzzy iridescent dark blue-green bodies and colorful transparent butterfly-esque wings. They have long pink antennae and a sharp and long beak that houses a proboscis, as they are pollen eaters. They have six legs and long fuzzy shrimp like bodies, sporting a fluffy fanned tail and long furry ears. Their eyes are black and beady, bulging from their fuzzy heads in a similar fashion to a mouse. They're mostly found around gardens of brightly colored flowers in VerdureClan and CavernClan's jungles, hiding up in the treetops when not feeding. If you see a colorful display of colors along the forest floor, chances are, there's a rabble of Crystalcatchers resting in the trees.
Their names come from one of their most notable defense tactics. They flutter their wings in the dappled sunlight to flash and distort any predators, shining the forest bed in an array of colors much like a crystal in sunlight. They're skittish things, and often flash their wings at the sign of any movement.. even if that movement is just the wind. Among their own species, however, they're quite competitive! This can cause a light show surrounding flowers as two Crystalcatchers collide and try to fight eachother off of flowers.
Their mating season primarily happens during the dry season. Courtship rituals involve colorful light displays and dancing, which may be performed by both sexes or just the male. As there's no sexual dimorphism in this species, Crystalcatchers often perform courtship dances to those of the same sex on accident. Their dances are truly a sight to behold, lighting up the jungle in flashy colors.
They're mostly inactive in the wet season, due to the weight of the water making it hard for these creatures to fly. It is during this season that they lay clutches of eggs underneath flower petals, so that they might hatch when it's warm and dry and they can flourish.
ART BY: MANGOPAWSS
ART BY: MANGOPAWSS
While their bodies are always a dark iridescent blue-green color, their wings can come in many different colors. These wings can come in just about any color, but the most common are a multicolor of blue, pink, yellow, white and green. They regularly shed their wings and regrow new ones, which might be entirely different colors than they were before!
While these creatures are skittish, they don't pose any threat to the Clan cats. They largely avoid the Crystalcatchers, and they don't really taste like much either, so they're not commonly hunted unless situations are dire. They're mostly respected, as they're a major pollinator for the Gardener's crops. A healthy garden is a sign these creatures thrive there! Their shedded wings have been used to craft jewelry and trinkets since the dawn of the Clans.