The Insectoids in Society.
A Closer Look at Their Role as the Lowest Common Denominator in the Food Chain.
Preface and General Description
 
 
The anthropomorphic insect species, oftentimes simply called the “insectoids” are a widespread group of sentient and sapient intelligent individuals. There are many different and varied Orders of insectoids. Some of them live in sprawling and bustling hives and societies, such as the termites of the bees, while others prefer more solidary lifestyles, such as some beetles, moths or flies. The general integration of insectoids with other groups such as mammals or reptiles happened a few centuries ago, but the assimilation has not gone completely without strife or animosities between the different species. The prevailing mentality of the insectoids is naturally imposed by their instinct-based attitudes, brain functions and societal norms.
Those were among the main reasons why initially many “warm-blooded” creatures struggled to get accustomed to the newly integrated insectoids and to grasp the behavioral differences among them. However, as time went on, the different species realized everyone could benefit from the joint cooperation with the insectoids. Because the insects’ minds, personalities and emotional outputs differ so much from other species and group, this oftentimes resulted in surprising, positive outcomes for the shared endeavors as the insectoids offerent a different view and opinion regarding certain societal problems and ventures.
Everyday Roles of the Insectoids in the Mixed-Species Society
 
 
Insectoids bodies are usually hyper specialized for one or two particular tasks in any given field. Their minds differ significantly from the warm-blooded counterparts. Mammalian emotional states and how the warmbloods perceive the world via the emotional lenses and sensitivities do not quite adhere to how an insectoid brain works. It is not to say the insects are some mindless, emotionless creation, devoid of any intimate personality or individualism. They simply view the world around them, their given volitions and their own roles in their community in a vastly different way to everyone else. This aspect also varies greatly among the insectoids themselves. Some species of insects might have a stronger or lesser sense of “self.” For example, termites or ants exhibit greater hive mind mentality than for example different Families and Species of the Order of Diptera, the flies.
The aforementioned Order displays an amazing array of biodiversity. Flies, crane flies, mosquitos, gnats among many others all belong to the Dipteran “family.” Many Dipterans live in tight-knit communities because of their shared jobs and occupations, as well as being steered by the common goals that drive their interest. Different species of flies, like the common dung and flesh flies, are often at the helm of massive waste disposal enterprises, tasked with water purification and litter utilization jobs. Mosquitos, on the other hand, spearheaded many scientific breakthroughs in the field of hematology. So as we can observe, despite the initial negative connotations and preconceptions one might have towards the insectoids, they often play vital roles in modern societies.
 
 
History of the First Contact with the Insectoids
 
 
The first recorded mentions of the insectoid societies date back at least a few hundred years. The initial encounters were not always quite peaceful. Most mammalian creatures viewed the insects as something so incredibly alien, that harsh actions often preceded any possible efforts for communication. Most other species outright feared or hated the insectoids for how alien they looked, taking them for something that needs to be eradicated or stopped by any means necessary. The fact the insectoid lacked any coherent way of verbal communication (simply due to the lack of conventional vocal cords) complicated any possible ways of connecting with them that much harder. However this was before the advent of modern technology which allowed the insectoid species to “talk” by using specialized laryngophones, so called “voice boxes” that translated the delicate vibrations of their bodies into understandable sound waves and voices. Those devices served as a sort of a speech synthesizer, simply put. But for many decades the insectoids were a vastly isolationist group of creatures and did not search out any ways of integrating with other groups.
Over the years things slowly began to change. As technology progressed forward and social standards improved, some insectoids started tolerating other species, and vice versa. Connections and dependencies on one another flourished in those societies. In today's day and age problems and animosities between insectoids and non-insectoids are kept to a minimum, mainly thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Inter-Species Relations.
 
 
Physiology of the Insectoids
 
 
Let us now delve deeper into the biological makeup of the insectoids. There are some aspects they do share with mammalian and other warm blooded species, while others are quite unusual when compared to the general populace. For example, their circulatory system does not possess “veins” in the conventional sense, as well as no typical blood. Insectoids utilize something called the hemolymph, which is a fluid that disperses in their bodies in an open system. Their brain also functions differently. At first glance one might note that the insectoids have little to no grasp on things like basic emotional responses to social and sentimental stimuli. Emotions such as anger, jealousy, envy or hate are generally lacking among the insectoids. Moreover, they have to consciously make efforts in order to learn, read and understand those emotions when associating with the non-insectoids. Their insect brains simply do not possess those emotional states and sensibilities. Because of that the insects generally regard other species as prone to outbursts, stating that “they are driven by emotions.”
There are also other vital biological differences found in the insects that differentiate them from other groups. For example, their bodies are made of chitin, a tough organic material covering their outer form. They have more pairs of limbs, usually two legs and four arms. The insectoid sensory organs, such as their antenna, are generally much more sophisticated in terms of auditory, olfactory, and tactile capabilities. Their compound eyes can perceive light in a more complex spectrum as well.
We have already discussed in short the differences of the insectoids and their role in mixed-species societies, but there are also other crucial aspects of them that play a significant role in their local communities and in the greater population as a whole. We shall take a closer look at those subjects in the following chapters.
 
 
The Insectoids as Food Source
Understanding the Innate Drive
 
 
Despite decades of insectoids living among other creatures in modern societies, there are still some aspects of their behavior that elude the scientists and are largely hard to explain with conventional rationale. One of such practices is the seemingly innate and instinctual drive of all the insectoid species to become sustenance and nourishment for other creatures. We have studied this phenomenon for some time now, but some aspects of this occurrence are still unclear. We shall focus on the possible biological, social and mental reasons underlying this behavior. In the following chapters we will also look closer on some historical examples that we managed to uncover by consulting insectoid historians and behavioral researchers. From what we know there is a deep-rooted and inherent, almost primal, drive in each and every insectoid individual that predisposes them to being food. It is almost as if they all have this ingrained instinct for being eaten. It is apparent that the insectoids exhibit zero actual fear at the face of this predicament. Moreover, they seem to cherish and relish this. Let us delve deeper into this fascinating behavior.
 
 
Mental Reasonings
 
 
We should start by dissecting this phenomenon by focusing first at the possible mental logic and reason behind this. As we have previously mentioned insectoid brains and minds operate quite differently compared to all other groups of species. This difference reaches much deeper than we previously thought. By conducting esteemed insectoid researchers and scientists from the behavior and social studies we managed to shine some light onto this phenomenon. We also conducted many common surveys to gain a more laid-back and less formal angle to this question that offered a more hands-on and less academic approach. Both of those endeavors allowed us to formulate at least basic hypotheses, shining a glimmer of light onto this captivating topic. It seems all insectoids do not view being eaten by other species as something to be feared, hated or avoided. This is doubly baffling considering the fact the insectoids are not prone to depression or suicidal thoughts like most other warm-blooded creatures. Thanks to those findings we managed to conclude that their drive to being consumed is not actually connected with any of those aforementioned negative emotions and mental states. We have no concrete data regarding how long behavior has been ingrained within their collective psyche, but we estimate that it has been present in their mentality for thousands of years, if not longer.
We observed a very interesting occurrence. When an insectoid is faced with a situation where another creature so much as mentions “being hungry,” the insectoid’s current mental state seems to almost become “hijacked.” We have read reports when an insectoid was, to quote, “virtually trying to cram themselves into the other person’s mouth” at the mere mention of the second party expressing hunger. The insectoids are truly fascinating creatures. This behavior applies to basically any insectoid species, at least according to all the examples we have studied so far. This seems to stand in complete opposition to conventional standards of a species’ instincts of self preservation.
 
 
Historical Records
 
 
We have managed to uncover various examples from the past in which this particular behavior was occurring. One might even say that in the past such situations were even more widespread than today. Supplying ourselves with historical records, we could read about entire communities and villages of insectoids participating in what can be described as “grand feasts” for other species. Those happenings were either spontaneous or planned in advance with great meticulous care. The proceedings usually went as follows. Once a village of insectoids came to an agreement to organize the “festival” messengers from the village would be sent out to neighboring communities inviting them to take part. Food, offerings, drinks and other luxuries would have been provided by the insectoid hosts for the guests. The festivities would always culminate in the entire insectoid population of said village being devoured by the guests. Sometimes one or two insectoids would be left alone to serve as “heralds” who were tasked with spreading the “good news” about this whole ordeal to other insectoid settlements or towns. Those festivities were regarded with amazing reverence and veneration. However, they all lacked any deeper or religious connotations. It is apparent that all insectoids held this in a very hard regard. They all view being eaten as an incredibly high honor and something to strive for whenever a possibility occurs. In modern times such occurrences are obviously less common, but they still happen, albeit on a much smaller scale. Those festivities are now usually replaced by much less formal birthday parties or social gatherings. However, they all end up in the exact same way.
 
 
The Insectoids Biological Predispositions for Being Food
 
 
Apart from studying the insectoid minds and their behaviors, we also concluded very extensive research that focused more on purely biological aspects of their lives and bodies. Our research found that the insectoid bodies are incredibly calorie dense. Their whole bodies are virtually entirely composed of all essential vitamins and minerals. Not only that, but from our studies we have also concluded that a whole insectoid’s body nutritional value far exceeds anything else in terms of conventional health and dietary values. We compared more “regular” types of food but nothing comes even remotely close to that of a full grown insectoid specimen. Their bodies seem to be biologically engineered and predisposed to serve as the bottom link in the entirety of the food chain.
Another fascinating manifestation of their innate predispositions to being food can be found in how they also react after having been eaten. After being ingested an insectoid brain begins producing extensive quantities of positive and stimulating hormones. After being eaten the insectoid begins experiencing a state of tremendous euphoria and immense physical pleasure, caused by those hormones flowing into their systems. The exact chemical composition of those hormones and chemicals is not yet precisely studied or known, but we suspect they are somehow similar to dopamine and oxycodone. They seem to be much greater in strength and intensity, however. It is said the physical pleasure an insectoid feels after being devoured can not be physically compared to anything else. Such levels of physical gratification seem to be completely unattainable to mammals, reptiles or any other group.
During our research project we have also studied what happens to the predators after consuming insectoid prey. They have reported a significant boost to their mental and physical health and well-being. It quickly became apparent that after having eaten an insectoid the participant reported substantial increase in the quality of bodily and mental performance. Given how densely packed the insectoid bodies are it came to us out as no surprise. A predator could easily subsist on a single adult insectoid for days, weeks even. The project’s attendants also reported they had considerable hardships with returning to their previous, more “regular” diets and food. Insectoids are also said to be incredibly palatable, flavorful, and delectable. The participants of our research initially had some doubts about that topic, but they quickly came round and voiced their opinions, confirming our findings. In short, insectoids seem to be inconceivably delicious and nutritious to any other species. We have yet to carry out additional research in regards to any long term effects and benefits of a purely insectoid-based diet, but we have our strong suspicions that this may well be the case. Some reported that once they have tried an insectoid, they became their sole and only food source.
 
 
Modern Examples
 
 
As technology progressed forward, little did change in the minds of the insectoids in regards to their intrinsic drive for being consumed. It seems that the advent of new technological discoveries like the Internet or mobile phones were of great help to the insectoids in this regard. We can oftentimes find entire online communities and forums dedicated to such activities. On those online forums we can encounter different species of insectoids “advertising” themselves as easy meals for anyone who wishes to participate.
 
 
Extreme Cases of the Insectoid Prey Nature
 
 
Sometimes the insectoid intrinsic prey oriented nature takes a much darker quality. This particular offshoot of their behavior has also been observed in the past, as well as in more modern times. Some individuals of the insectoid species express a deep desire for total annihilation of their particular species or subspecies, going so far as to expressing desires for their entire Genus to end up totally vanquished by the means of predation. As morbid as it may sound to an average viewer, such severe notions are never truly met with shock or horror among the insectoids. Moreover, they all seem to be either indifferent to such ideas or humor them with light-hearted remarks. Other groups of insectoids openly seek out such endeavors, going so far as to openly seek their species' destruction inside a hungry predator’s stomach. There are special online forums that encourage this behavior, where some insectoids even make this into a “game” of sorts. Those insectoids apparently organize huge events, trying to outdo one another in who can “bring their species’ numbers down the most.” Again, this may sound like a grim and dark, even depressing, topic to an accidental onlooker, but among the insectoids such “games” are oftentimes met with a cheery and lively responses. Some even openly encourage such actions, taking an active part.
 
 
Conclusion
 
 
We hope this brief essay managed to shed some light on the intricacies of the insectoid world, their behavior and nature. There are still a lot of aspects of their lives that remain a mystery, but in due time we hope to uncover most of them. We would like to thank all the participants of the project, which included members of both insectoid and non-insectoid spheres. Everyone was more than willing to include their own insights and opinions, which greatly helped in formulation of our own ideas regarding this fascinating phenomenon. This research aimed to give insight into the lives of the insectoid species living in our modern societies.