Lightle bug

"Lys, is it true that there are bugs that glow different colors at night?"
"It sure is, Zotti. They're called lightle bugs, and they're beautiful."

―Zotti and Solay^[1]

Lightle bugs were a species of bright fluttering insects found on the planet Tenoo. It emitted lights in various colors, including pink, yellow, green, and blue, which coincided with its outer appearances. Aside from their colorful lights, the lightle bugs had four dark purple pupilless eyes, six legs, a small mandible, and a pair of wings.

During the High Republic Era, Jedi Initiate Kai Brightstar encountered a lightle bug as he was meditating with Padawan Bell Zettifar on Tenoo. In the same year, the Jedi initiate Lys Solay led a group of younger initiates to the forest of Tenoo to see the lightle bugs before nightfall. They arrived later than initially planned after a wild chase with a Sharptailed Fellwing, though the group was still able to see the beautiful bright fluttering insects. Brightstar later encountered another lightle bug while on an adventure along with Marlaa Jinara and Maz Kanata in the forest of Tenoo.

Biology and appearances

"Look at all the colors! So colorful."
"Lightle bugs!"

―Bren and Zotti^[1]

The lightle bug was a small flying insect that emitted bright colored lights, which include pink, yellow,^[1] green,^[3] and blue. The insect species had four dark purple pupilless eyes, six legs, a tiny mandible, and a pair of tiny wings.^[2] The species was multihued, depending on which colored light it emitted. Lightle bugs can be found flying in the forests of the planet Tenoo.^[1]

History

Around 233 BBY,^[4] during the heights of the High Republic Era; a blue lightle bug flew past Jedi Initiate Kai Brightstar, who was meditating alongside Padawan Bell Zettifar on Tenoo.^[2] A year later in 232 BBY,^[5] Jedi Initiate Lys Solay led a group of younger initiates Linh, Bren, and Zotti to a lightle bug nest to see the bright and colorful creatures during nighttime. During their trip, however, Zotti was taken by a playful Sharptailed Fellwing, forcing the rest of the group to go on chase after the giant bird. The wild chase caused them to arrive at the insect's nest much later than planned, though fortunately the colorful fluttering lightle bugs were still around to light the dark forest.^[1] While on an adventure through the Tenoo forest with the junkyard owner Marlaa Jinara and the^[6] pirate queen^[7] Maz Kanata to retrieve the latter's broken jetpack, Brightstar ran past a fluttering yellow lightle bug.^[6] Later during a rainy day on Tenoo, the Jedi Initiates Nubs, Brightstar, and Solay climbed up the Tenoo tree on top of the Tenoo Jedi Temple and encountered many colorful lightle bugs flying around it.^[3]

Behind the scenes

The lightle bug, albeit unidentified, first appeared in "Charhound Chase," the first part of the fourteenth episode of the first season of the Disney+ and Disney Junior animated series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures,^[2] which aired on November 8, 2023.^[8] It was later identified in the animated short "Younglings in the Wild."^[1] The insect was designed by illustrator Aaron Cobb, who initially refer to the species as "lightning bug" during its development.^[9]