I happened across these forgotten-thumbnails of mine while sifting through some sketchbooks. They’re essentially the thought-process behind the Dune Walker insect on my main site. The idea was to design a large “beast of burden” bug that a society used specifically as a type of “armored transport” for goods. My first ideas revolved around large, bulky, beetle like bugs, who’s carapaces might be sculpted and crafted into little “turrets” to store grain and what have you.
This idea bounced around quite a bit before settling on the stilt-legged bug in the upper right-hand corner…Essentially a creature with highly specialized forelimbs that are fused together to form a carrying tray of sorts that it tucks against it’s body. The tail and lilliputian wings that are seen here and in the final design are clues to this creature’s evolutionary path from airborne dragonfly to silt-striding desert beast. I imagine these creatures are sexually dimorphic, with the males appearing much smaller and more dragonfly like. During mating season, the sails on the backs of the females would turn bright red, flushed with blood, and would signal to the much-smaller, airborne males that it’s reproduction time.
Here’s a link to the final design of the female. Enjoy. As for me, I’m off to design it’s flying male counterpart..
