Adult Female
Name: unnamed
Species: Fluorowing Crystalwing
Birthday: Sunday, May 15, 2016
Owner: flipflopdiva
Element: Earth/Air 
So little is known about the behaviors of adult fluorowing crystalwings that no one is quite sure what the function of their unusual glowing gemstones must be. These grow in as the crystalwing ages, and are a direct result of their microbe-rich diet as adults. Many magi point to the defensive use of these gemstones in other crystalwings, the hard gems forming a sort of scaly protection from predators, suggesting that once the crystalwings reach a certain size, they must invest in defenses to keep from being eaten by their own kind. Others point out that although adults vary greatly in size, these variations only occur between different tunnel systems -- a single adult will not wander far, and within a single system is only likely to encounter adults of the same size. The current hypothesis for why the gems glow is that they are used in mating displays, as the largest and most well-fed fluorowings usually have the largest and most vibrant crystals. However, why both males and females have these impressive structures remains a mystery.
Fluorowings are cryptic crystalwings thought to be very rare, almost never wandering near the surface. They have only been sighted by magi on rare occasions in the past, and seem to range in size as adults, some never passing the size of a cat, while others are nearly large enough to ride. They live solitary lives in the deepest parts of caves, moving slowly and conserving energy in the times when they can't easily acquire food. Although opportunistic like many cave dwellers, fluorowing crystalwings rely heavily on an unusual food: cave bacteria. They have specialized chisel-shaped teeth for scraping patches of bacteria off of rocks, preferring those with a fluorescent or phosphorescent glow. The components of glowing bacteria augment the crystals growing on their body, giving them an eerie but beautiful glow as adults.
Sprite art: Lazuli (adult) | Description: PKGriffin