Arclight Dragonfly (3.5e Monster)

This enormous creature resembles nothing so much as a bright red dragonfly with dull green spots that give off a very faint light.

Arclight dragonflies are enormous insects native to remote regions of the Material Plane. In appearance they resemble mundane dragonflies, except that they possess four pairs of wings. Their carapaces tend to be vibrant in hue, but can range the entire spectrum of colors. Dark green, blue, or yellow spots along both sides and the bottom of an arclight dragonfly's body emit a constant but relatively dull light; this mechanism serves to attract other varieties of insects, which the dragonfly feeds upon. Their wings are almost always white or off-grey, sometimes with colored stripes. Arclight dragonflies derive their name from the patterns that these creatures create at night or in low light: though the bioluminescent spots on their bodies glow only faintly, the creatures move at such fast speeds that they create the illusion of solid streaks of light trailing behind them. They are valued as mounts, and some cultures use them in festivals and celebrations because of their bright coloration.

Combat
Arclight dragonflies are not particularly adept at combat, preferring to flee when attacked. If forced to fight, they will attempt to wound the foe with its bite attack until it can escape to safety.

Bioluminescence : An arclight dragonfly's body naturally emits a dull glow that provides shadowy illumination out to a radius of 10 feet. Unlike many creatures, the dragonfly cannot control this effect; it is always active.

Skills: Acrlight dragonflies have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks.

Training an Arclight Dragonfly
As creatures driven almost completely by instinct, arclight dragonflies can be difficult to control, but they do show a degree of acceptance to training not often seen in insects. Training an arclight dragonfly to accept a rider requires six weeks of work and a DC 30 Handle Animal check. Riding an arclight dragonfly requires an exotic saddle. An arclight dragonfly can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.

Arclight dragonfly eggs are worth 4,000 gp each, while young (called nymphs; not to be confused with the fey creature of the same name) can sell for 6,000 gp or more. They reach the adult stage about 3 years after hatching, and can usually be expected to live for 10 or more years. Professional trainers charge 2,000 gp to rear or train an arclight dragonfly.

Carrying Capacity: A light load for an arclight dragonfly is up to 464 pounds; a medium load, 465–932 pounds; and a heavy load, 933–1,400 pounds.