ECOLOGY

Environment cold forests
Organization cluster (2-5) or colony (6-11)
Treasure none

Gelid beetles inhabit icy forests and other such desolate places in arctic climates. They spend most of their time hunting, surfacing from their lairs at night to prey on giant or smaller insects. During the daylight hours, gelid beetles like to congregate with others of their kind in warm spots where the sunlight breaks through the trees.

Gelid beetles make their lairs in hollowed logs, dead trees, and other such hidden places. During the mating season, the female digs a small underground chamber in a well-secluded place and lays 1d4+1 silverywhite eggs. These eggs hatch in about 2 weeks producing olive-yellow larvae. The larvae spends its time feeding and growing (and occasionally molting) before passing into the pupa stage after nearly 3 weeks in its larval stage. The pupa sheds its skin for the last time after 8 to 10 days and emerges as an adult gelid beetle.

Most beetles are white with silvery-black legs and dull silver mandibles. Some specimens have a mottled silver or black carapace and an even rarer species has dull crimson wing covers. A lesser gelid beetle begins combat with its cold spray. It then charges into combat biting its opponents. Though not intelligent, these creatures often employ hit-and-run tactics, especially when attacking as a group.