Chameleon Silkwing Moth

Cryptologic Name: Ostentinea s.
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Temperate and sub-tropical regions
Diet: Herbivorous

Appearance & Morphology
Chameleon silkwing moths are a genus of magical insects that fairly closely resemble their nonmagical counterparts in morphology and lifecycle. Individual species vary in size and wing shape, but all species possess the same set of magical abilities.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
The most notable magical trait of the adult chameleon silkwing, and indeed where this creature gets its name, is its ability to alter its coloration and patterning at will. This change can be done very quickly, with colors and patterns shifting in mere seconds. The purpose of this ability appears to be twofold; first they will use bright patterns and colors to attract mates, as we often see in the animal world, with males using bright displays to catch the attention of females. The second purpose is predator deterrence; these moths will often settle on drab coloring to match their surroundings as effective camouflage against predators, but when they become aware of a predator’s interest they will flash bright displays in an attempt to confuse them, or as a form of Batesian mimicry (when a harmless species imitates the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both).

In addition to this remarkable ability these creatures have as adults, their larval/pupal stage also has unique magical properties. The silk threads the chameleon silkwing caterpillar produces will react to ambient mana flow and will change color in response. This “chameleon silk” is a highly sought-after material which is used by mages in a variety of ways. Much like nonmagical silk, it is most often spun into thread and woven into fabric rather than used raw. The resulting textile is often used to embellish haute couture outfits in the upper echelons of mage society. It can also be used in tools meant to detect ambient mana or locate magical leylines.

Field Notes

• Harvesting and spinning chameleon silk is an elaborate and painstaking process and as such the material is prohibitively expensive for most mages. An ancient mage-king was said to have had an elaborate robe made entirely from the material, and he would wear it any time he cast spells so that his clothing would dance with color as he channeled mana into his works.

• Chameleon silk threads change color consistently in the presence of different wavelengths of mana, and as such can be used to identify specific types of mana in an area. Nervalia Ensantos is noted as the first mage to have experimented with chameleon silk and catalogued the different hues the material adopts when exposed to specific mana. Her initial index has been expanded since her time but the base work she did is still in use by modern mages.

• In my own menagerie of magical creatures individuals of three species represented.

  • O. hyalophora, the largest of the chameleon silkmoth species, whose wing shape resembles that of the cecropia moth.

  • O. actias, easily distinguishable with its longitailed wings.

  • O. automeris, a mid-sized species which often displays different colors on its hindwings than its forewings (sadly as I was photographing mine, it showed no interest in demonstrating this tendency)

O. hylaphora

O. actias

O. automeris