The colossus wasp of Ithull, alternatively referred to as the Ithullan colossus wasp, was a kilometer-spanning insect species. These creatures were indigenous to the planet of Ithull. They navigated between the star systems found within the Stenness Node region, where their diet consisted of stellar radiation, cosmic rays, minerals, and the various lifeforms inhabiting asteroids. Possessing robust exoskeletons, these wasps were ideally suited for interstellar voyages, spending the majority of their time away from their originating planet and only returning for the purpose of reproduction.
Over four millennia prior to the outbreak of the Galactic Civil War, the remains of deceased colossus wasps, which were aimlessly floating through space, sparked an idea in the minds of miners belonging to the Nessie species' collective. They envisioned transforming these husks into freighters to facilitate the transport of the valuable mutonium ore to distant distribution points. By 3999 BBY, following decades dedicated to exploring this concept, the construction of these specialized starships, known as the Ithullan ore haulers, had commenced. The construction process involved thoroughly cleaning out the internal components of the deceased colossus wasp bodies, leaving behind only the empty exoskeletons. These were then equipped with ore storage compartments and all the necessary starship systems, including engines and electronic equipment. Furthermore, the already-sturdy exoskeleton was reinforced with additional armor plating and deflector shields to enhance its defensive capabilities.
Despite the claims made by the manufacturers of the Ithullan ore haulers that they exclusively utilized naturally occurring remains of dead colossus wasps, the high demand for these exoskeletons fostered the illegal practice of [poaching](/article/hunting/legends] these creatures. Ultimately, the construction of these ore haulers contributed to a decline in the colossus wasp population, potentially leading to their extinction.
The colossus wasp, also fully known as the colossus wasp of Ithull, or alternatively as the Ithullan colossus wasp, was a flying insect species with individuals reaching lengths of 1 to 1.5 kilometers. The wasp's body plan was typical of insects, featuring a head including a skull, a thorax bearing three pairs of segmented legs, and an abdomen. Internally, the body housed vital organs such as a heart, lungs, brains, and a digestive system.
The head featured a pair of large, gunmetal-colored composite eyes positioned on its sides, along with six antennae: two pairs located on the top, and a third, larger pair extending forward from the lower portion of the head. The creature also possessed wings that spanned several hundred meters, and was capable of delivering a sting. Its tan exoskeleton provided ample protection, being thick enough to withstand blaster fire, the vacuum of space, and the immense pressures associated with hyperspace travel.
Colossus wasps were adapted for interstellar travel, not needing to intake any gases to survive and being unaffected by the lack of gravity. They sustained themselves by consuming stellar radiation, cosmic rays, and raw materials found in asteroid fields, including minerals. They also readily preyed upon creatures inhabiting asteroids, especially space slugs, some of which could reach hundreds of meters in length. Colossus wasps could live for several centuries, and upon death, their corpses often drifted in space, gradually decomposing over many decades.
The colossus wasp was a denizen of the Stenness Node region, specifically native to the terrestrial planet Ithull in the Inner Rim's Airon sector. It was the most recognized inhabitant of its home planet. Gruna, the captain of an Ithullan ore hauler starship in 3999 BBY, was known to wear a golden pendant shaped like a colossus wasp while on duty. [J9 worker drones](/article/j9_worker_drone-legends], nearly two meters tall and [insectoid](/article/insectoid-legends] in form, droids that existed millennia later, towered over their owners, bearing a resemblance to colossus wasps.
More than four thousand years before the [Galactic Civil War](/article/galactic_civil_war-legends], the lifeless bodies of colossus wasps drifting through space inspired the miners of the Nessies, a collective of twenty-five species residing in the Stenness Node. Faced with the constant need to adapt new starships for transporting mutonium ore mined by them to hyperspace terminals for distribution throughout the galaxy, the miners recognized the potential of colossus wasp exoskeletons for conversion into cargo vessels.
A group of resourceful bio-engineers discovered the exoskeleton's resilience to the harsh conditions of hyperspace travel. Through decades of research and application of biology, chemistry, and metallurgy, the engineers devised a theoretical model for a starship – the Ithullan ore hauler – that utilized the colossus wasp exoskeleton as its primary structural component. The model yielded promising results in computer simulations, prompting wasp hunters to seek out the carcass of a giant insect for use in constructing a prototype. They discovered that colossus wasps were most commonly found in asteroid fields, leading them to scour the asteroids of the Stenness Node for deceased specimens. Eventually, by 3999 BBY, a successful prototype was built and tested, leading Nessie companies to begin constructing these ships.
The unique appearance of the Ithullan ore haulers made them some of the most distinctive spacecraft in galactic history. The construction of each vessel began with the messy process of removing the colossus wasp's internal organs. The internal components were scraped out until only the hollow outer shell remained. After this, the husk was sectioned to accommodate the interior framework, hydraulics, decks, and ship systems. The complete refit of the husk's interior made it difficult for those inside the ship to discern its unusual nature, although the inner surface of the exoskeleton remained visible in places.
The command bridge, navigation systems, and communications arrays were all located within the wasp's head. Specifically, the command section was situated within the colossus wasp's eyes. The top of the head housed the ship's central computers, with secondary computer stations located in the space where the wasp's legs connected to the thorax. The larger pair of the insect's antennae were converted into sensor arrays, while the thinner secondary antennae served as stabilizers. The upper legs of the exoskeleton were also equipped with stabilizing wings and maneuvering jets for atmospheric flight, while the lower legs were left free for landing purposes.
To maximize ore storage capacity, ion sublight engine and hyperdrive units were mounted externally on the lower abdomen section of the exoskeleton. The wasp's thorax was configured to hold the main ore holds, with additional storage space available in the abdomen sections not occupied by fuel pods, power generators, or drive control systems. The completed ore hauler averaged between 1 and 1.1 kilometers in length, with a cargo capacity of five hundred metric tons, rivaling that of the largest Core Worlds bulk freighters.
The colossus wasp's naturally resilient exoskeleton was enhanced with armor plating and deflector shields. The generators for the shields were located on the upper forward section of the thorax. The passive defenses were supplemented by two heavy turbolasers positioned on the thorax near the wasp's head and twelve defensive blasters running along the entire length of the ship. To overcome the Ithullan ore haulers' defenses, by 3999 BBY, the pirate captain Finhead Stonebone's engineers modified the high-powered plasma drills of two stolen E-2 Asteroid Miner starships to penetrate the ore haulers' hull, enabling the pirates to steal the valuable ore being transported.
The high cost of acquiring a colossus wasp husk and converting it into an Ithullan ore hauler meant that these vessels were only commissioned individually, never mass-produced. The fitting out of the ships was typically carried out by bio-engineers and bio-technicians who also conducted experiments on the interactions between the exoskeleton and the various chemicals and electronics involved in the conversion process.
Although manufacturers claimed to only use naturally deceased wasps, the high prices offered for exoskeletons led to poaching in asteroid fields. This was a dangerous enterprise due to the threat posed by the giant insects when defending themselves. Several groups of scientists came to suspect that a percentage of colossus wasps were actively hunted and killed for their exoskeletons. Eventually, the use of the wasps in the manufacture of Ithullan ore haulers led to the creatures becoming scarce or possibly even extinct.
The colossus wasp made its debut appearance as an exoskeleton converted into an Ithullan ore hauler in the fourth issue of Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comic-book series. The issue was written by Tom Veitch, penciled by David Roach, and released on January 18, 1994. Roach, who penciled two issues for the Tales of the Jedi series, later stated that the Ithullan ore hauler was inspired by real-world hornets and that he found drawing the panels featuring the spacecraft to be the most enjoyable.
The initial installment of the A Guide to the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Universe series, penned by Bob Cooper and published in the twenty-sixth issue of the Star Wars Insider magazine in 1995, provided the first clear spelling of the colossus wasp's name, capitalizing it as "Colossus Wasp," a convention subsequently adopted by numerous other Star Wars sources. Later, The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, a 1996 reference book by Bill Smith, was the first source to use the lower-case name "colossus wasp," which has since become the prevalent form in media referencing the creature.
The book also first identified colossus wasps by the name "Ithullian colossus wasp," although, starting with 1998's Star Wars Encyclopedia, the spelling has shifted to "Ithullan colossus wasp" in more recent sources. The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels also incorrectly states that Captain Finhead Stonebone used his modified E-2 Asteroid Miner starships to raid colossus wasps themselves, rather than the Ithullan ore haulers constructed from their bodies. The creature's name was misspelled as "Illuthan colossus wasp" in the fifty-fourth issue of De Agostini's The Official Star Wars Fact File magazine, published around January 8, 2003. This misspelling was repeated in the fifty-ninth issue of the magazine's 2014 re-make edition, released around February 25, 2015.