Changeling

Changelings are a species of membrane winged insect from the ponylike family.

They are very skilled at illusion magic.

Distribution
Changelings are mostly found in the Changeling Lands.

Subdivisions
There are two races of Changeling: Erebian Changelings and Iridian Changelings.

Variants
Changelings can be peasants or royals. Most Changelings are peasants, but a larva can grow into a royal when raised on royal jelly instead of honey.

Physiology
Changelings are quadrupeds, similar in size and shape to Ponies. They feature membrane wings which they can use to fly and a horn which they can cast magic from.

Their body is covered in a keratin shell. Their shell together with waxes and resins secreted through the carapace gives them a good degree of resistance to physical attacks, fire and many poisons.

They have sharp chemoreceptors which enables them to easily find food. Changelings are omnivorous but they are particularly drawn to sugars such as fruit.

For unknown reasons, Changelings seem not to suffer from the negative health effects of goldenpitch.

Reproduction
Reproduction is racially dependant. Among Erebian Changelings, only the queen can lay eggs. The queen is impregnated by a male and will lay thousands of eggs at a time. As each batch of eggs shares one father, they have genetic similarities and are considered to be siblings.

Among Iridian Changelings all females can lay eggs which leads to a more genetically varied population.

Eggs eventually hatch into larvae. Despite the ability of Changelings to construct chrysalises, Larvae don't need them to mature and instead mature like a mammal would.

Changeling mothers feed larvae honey to help them grow.

Honey
As they are not mammals, Changelings do not produce milk, however, honey fulfills a similar role in their reproduction.

Female Changelings produce honey out of their mouth and feed it to larvae to help them grow.

The honey produced by Erebian Changelings is bitter yet sweet and it's considered an acquired taste. It's venomous to some species.

Iridian Changelings, by contrast, produce a very sweet honey that is extremely rich in sugars.

Royal jelly
Royal female Changelings (Queen Changelings) produce a type of honey called royal jelly.

Larvae raised on royal jelly grow up to become royals themselves.

Wax
Male Changelings produce wax instead of honey.

Wax is used in hive construction in a similar way to cement. Because of this, male Changelings often fulfill the role of builder in the hive.

Outside of the Changeling Lands, changeling wax has found uses as a wood finish and as a material to make phonograph records.

During the Qilinmania, it was possible to identify Equestrian imitations of Qilinian lacquerware by their use of changeling wax in lieu of lacquer.

In popular culture
In Equestrian mythology, Changelings are depicted as feeding on love.

Notable individuals

 * Chrysalis, Erebian queen
 * Thorax, Iridian king of Erebian blood who participated in the conquest of Chrysalis' hive.