#this is another old thing

Ophis Pterotos, the double-winged serpent:

Tiny, colorful dragons native to the Arabian Peninsula are known to swarm around Frankincense trees in early spring, possibly attracted by the scent to form mating swarms. The males die shortly after mating, and may be fed on by the females as they prepare to migrate to their nesting sites. The Egyptian ibis is said to have a particular taste for these tiny creatures, which often die of exhaustion after laying their eggs near the Nile.

These strange beast were first documented by the Greek historian Heredotus, who wrote of Arabians burning “smoke of the storax” (another aromatic plant) to disperse their swarms in order to harvest resin from the trees.