Hooflets
Leaf no trace!
The Hooflet is a medium-sized insect that looks remarkably like a fallen maple leaf when at rest. Its wings mimic the shape and warm colors of Atalav’s native maple trees, making it nearly invisible on the forest floor. Its abdomen is relatively flat, wide, and bifurcated like a pair of maple seeds. The two “maple seeds” together form the the shape of a hoofprint when viewed from above, something that Atalavian Tellers claim is a blessing from Herne. Its legs are long and wide, with serrated edges that help it cling to bark.
Hooflets primarily feed on nectar, sap, and fungal spores, making it both a pollinator and decomposer. Most feeding activity will occur at dusk or dawn when low light makes it harder to see through their camouflage. During the day, it flattens against bark or leaf piles and enters a low-energy state akin to torpor.
Their seed-like abdomens act as both a false offering but also as a defense mechanism. Some predators will be tempted to swallow the easy picking of a maple leaf only to have their mouth scratched up by their serrations, allowing the bug to escape. Most predators will learn to ignore maple seeds altogether or double check that they aren’t being deceived.
Atalavian folklore says that if a Hooflet lands on you, you’re about to make a significant decision- its hoofprint marking is considered an omen from Herne. In some villages, children weave dried hooflet exoskeletons into wreaths for festivals, symbolizing change, resilience, and renewal.
Concept by Becomelost, Rendering and Info by Deertush.