Metalmites were small insects that were made primarily of metal.
Grouping in swarms that were commanded by a queen or an empress, Metalmites would devastate entire installations using powerful biological enzymes to dissolve raw metals and then consume it. Presumably part of the dissolved metals would be incorporated into their body which might explain why they themselves were made of metal. Metalmites would often make loud humming noises when they were present in a swarm, with a different pitch separating the different swarm broods. It was quite common for the different broods to wage wars against one another.
Exterminating metalmites was not an easy task, since normal extermination measures had no effect on metalmites; therefore extermination usually required cordioline trehansicol, also known as CorTrehan.