Mimbanese Mud Fleas are wingless insectoids, typically about a foot (1ft / 12in) in length and a height of 5 to 6 inches as an adult, that are highly agile, dark in colour with sharp teeth and a retracted proboscis adapted to assist in feeding by piercing the skin and sucking their host's blood through it. Flea legs are long, in relation to the creatures overall size, and end in strong claws that are adapted to grasp a host or wrestle a small enough would-be meal into submission.
The flea body is covered sporadically with a semi-malleable form of chitin, a sort of segmented armour so to speak, that provides it with a layer of protection from predators, though more often than not it is not enough to stop any dedicated hunter from turning it into prey. Between the segments of chitin are long spines of onyx hair directed backward.
Planet:Mimbam. (Though can be found offworld. Almost "thriving" on some swamp worlds like Nal Hutta or Naboo as an invasive species and as short-lived pests on planets such as Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa and Taris)
Lifespan: While on Mimban, nurtured in it's natural environment within the parasitic soil the oldest Mud Flea has been documented to up to 3 standard years though most find themselves only living up to 7 months, however, off world most do not live any longer than 2 months.
Diet: At the larvae stage the Mud Fleas utilise their developing proboscis to feed on whatever organic matter they're incubated on in, ideally the carcass of another animal, however most commonly would be feces of mature fleas that are capable of more efficiently breaking down the nutrients. Growing into adulthood the Mud Flea no longer has to maintain a typical Flea-like lifestyle, fully capable of feeding on, and consuming "hard foods" such as chunks of flesh, small insects and even small mammals/reptiles.
Behaviour: Widely considered to be pests the Mimbanese Mud Flea is somewhat nomadic, typically travelling wherever they might think food to reside and burrowing large swaths of mud as such, they are inherently aggressive towards most species and even carry cannibalistic tendencies, especially in times of food shortage. While far from a pack animal, if left unopposed it isn't uncommon to find entire stretches dominated by them, though never peacefully.
Breeding: With a swift conception, development and birthing period Fleas lay many tiny, off-khaki coloured, ellipsoidal eggs. The larvae begin small, sluggish and nearly translucent in colour but gradually become more opaque and darken as they become active, much like their parents.
Strengths: As a creature nearer being an apex predator in it's category as a small creature the Mud Flea boasts a deceptively powerful bite force and bacteria higher saliva, making it - even at it's size - a danger to humans, especially children.
Weaknesses: Despite being quite robust at their own level, the Mud Flea is an entirely fragile species, highly susceptible to intense heats or very sudden rises in temperature and easily dispatched by most pest control methods.
Birthed at some point during the millions of years of Mimbam evolution the Mimbanese Mud Flea has never really had a well documented first sighting, simply known as something that has been around just as long as the Mimbanese people themself if not longer.
Throughout history they've been known as nothing more than a nuisance but it was until the last hundred or so years that they were introduced to the larger galaxy. A byproduct of the initial intervention on the planet by the Galactic Republic, seeing shuttles unwittingly ferry families of Mud Fleas from planet to planet, only accelerated by the Galactic Empire's attempt at annexation.
Now nearly a hundred years on, while not exactly a common sight galaxy wide, Mimbanese Mud Fleas can be found all over. From Coruscant and Nar Shaddaa to Nal Hutta and Naboo.
To introduce a non-sentient species and provide the galaxy with a relatively common and easily reference-able pest.