Jumbo Grubs

Caterpillars that typically grow up to a twentyfour inches long and never transform into a butterflies. They become reproductive mature in their larval form and never metamorphisize into butterflies or moths.

They grow much larger an Old Earth caterpillars and have several modifications inspired by other Old Earth invertebrates, that enable their large size. They also do not metamorphosis into butterflies, instead reproducing in their caterpillar form.

Other modifications necessary to obtain their large size are complete gut and closed circulatory system modeled on that of cephelapods. The spiracles no longer lead to trachea and tracholes which have been replaced by book lungs modeled after arachnids. Since caterpillars normally do not have two productive systems, theirs is borrowed from terrestrial slugs.

Additionally they have ribbing on the inside of their exoskeletons to increase structural integrity. They also have air filled blades inside their bodies to make then lighter.

Giant Caterpillar exhibiting neoteny.

Varies, often brightly colored as a warning to predators.

They have a cirlindrical bodies with a head capsule at the anterior end. The head cap paddle posses several clusters of simple eyes, called stemmata, on the sides. The thorax has three pairs of jointed legs. While the abdomen has five pairs of fleshy prolegs.

One to two feet in length.

Bright colors, spines, and urticating hairs.

Low, only when threatened.

Bright colors, spines, and urticating hairs.

Slow.

Slow moving, soft bodies.

Make whistling and grunting noises by forcing air out through the spiracles when contracting their book lungs.

Meat and leather.

Grasslands.

Grasses and low growing plants.

Reproduction is modeled on terrestrial slugs. After marrying occurs the eggs are laid and abandoned.

Jumbo Grubs were developed by the special interest group "Why Change?" whose goal is promote the larval stage of various organism by engineering them to never metamorphosize into their adult form.

The offered to pay for part of the terraforming of Terra 47 if several of their larva lifeforms were incorporated into the ecosystems.

Reproduction is modeled on terrestrial slugs. After marrying occurs the eggs are laid and abandoned.