Bug (The Escape Orbit)

Bugs are a sapient, spacefaring insectoid species which waged a war against Humans for over 60 years. The real name of this species is a short clicking sound that can only be pronounced by a few Human linguists.

Biology
Bugs are pallid, soft-bodied creatures, almost as large as Humans, which crawl on four ambulatory legs and have an additional pair of limbs protruding from the sides of their heads. These manipulators, along with their mouths and sense organs, are covered in frondlike hair and resemble something that might have evolved in the sea. Despite breathing through gills, Bugs are terrestrial creatures and prefer to inhabit dry planets. They breathe chlorine and can't withstand oxygen.

Unlike many insectoid species, Bug bodies are soft and not protected by an exoskeleton. They are filled with large amounts of liquid and their skin is partially transparent. Their blood is yellow, but turns black if exposed to oxygen. Their manipulators are remarkably strong.

Since their eyesight is less developed than a Human's, environments that a Human would consider well lit will appear dark to a Bug.

Appearances

 * The Escape Orbit, by James White (1965)