Vespid

The Vespid are a race of insect-like aliens, who are members of the Tau Empire. Known by their tau allies as the "Mal'kor" (the tau words for insect, "mal" and air, "kor"), their homeworld is a gas giant also called Vespid. At first, the tau and the vespids couldn't communicate, not just by a language barrier, but because the vespids didn't recognise them as sentient life. It was only when the tau's religious leaders, the ethereals, ordered the construction of an interface device, which not only showed the vespids that the tau were fellow sentients but also taught them of the Greater Good, the tau religion. Now, their leaders wear special "Communion Helms" which allow them to communicate with both the tau and their fellow members of the Tau Empire through the use of a similar device.

Physiology
The Vespid are an insectoid species. Their bodies are encased in a chitinous exoskeleton, which sports many lethally sharp barbs. They have three pairs of eyes, the first working like human eyes while the second and third show ultraviolet and infrared vision respectively. It is assumed that they see through all three sets of eyes at the same time, giving them their own unique perception of their surroundings. They have the ability to fly, thanks to the pair of chitin wings.