A Wadalisi body is something wonderful. While our limbs and torso appear segmented, the reality is that that is just our exoskeleton over our actual skin. The black bits that you see between are waji(/wadʒi/), exposed parts of our skin that morph and form to our needs(9). Though mostly used as joints, our waji can bend and twist as much as we will it, transforming if necessary. Our exoskeleton, often referred to as waojit(/waʊ̯dʒɪt/), can either be as soft as a pillow or as hard as rock(9). At some point on the evolutionary ladder, we abandoned on set of limps in favor of fingered hands on our fore limbs. Our back limbs continue to sport a single waji shoot each. But even with such lack luster footholds, we still manage to stand upright with help from our tails and wings(9).

The Wadalisi head is a marvel in and of itself. It has grown larger over time to accommodate our growing brains. Our eyes have millions of lenses that can help us navigate properly while flying(9). The hairs on the top of our head actually connect straight into our brains and allow us to hear(9). On top of it all are our antennae that help up perceive scents and smells. They have their own waji shoots to help us track scents while flying(9). Our mouths link to our digestive track, of course, but also house our unique waojit teeth called Gagen(/gadʒɛn/)(9). We grow our gagen after we are born and immediately harden them in order to eat solid food. There’s actually a disease Wadalisi can get in our senility that makes our gagen soften, making it impossible to eat(10). Finally, we have our neck fuzz called Oda(/oʊda/)(9). The purpose of Oda is thought to be originally sexual but eventually lost it’s purpose and stuck around ever since(11).

Wadalisi come in 3(or really 2 and a half) sexes; Female, Male and Drone(9). Males Produce sperm to impregnate females in order to reproduce. A Wadalisi pregnancy last about 4 month when they give birth to a larva(9). The larva then gets encased in a Kotarawi cell where they are then fed Honey until finally reaching the pupa state 3 months later. This reproductive process is believed to have stuck around as a means to lesson the burden of developing children on the female(9).

Females can produce either children with males or drones on their own. Drones are small, sexless children that lack a fully developed brain than males and females. They live very short lives, only about 4-5 years(9). Females were thought to have been able to create drones in order to help in child rearing and food gathering if there wasn’t a male present(9). Because they are underdeveloped, drones have no personality or will of their own. As time has moved on, use of drones is often discouraged, due in large part to the myth that they shorten a female’s lifespan(10).

Males can neither produce their own drones nor as much honey as females. Males also tend to be physically weaker. only having stronger tails(9). Due to these factors, females are more common to find than males, making up roughly 75%-80% of the total population(2)

Above: Examples of Female, Male and Drone Wadalisi