Cygnats, small biting insects native to the planet of Thisspias, could be kept at bay by thick hair. An example of this is the beard of Thisspiasian Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis. Approximately 200 years prior to the Galactic Civil War, a semblance of the cygnat symbol was donned by a band of terrorists responsible for the assassination of Thisspias' Blood Monarch. Consequently, the use of cygnat pins by anti-monarchist, abolitionist groups of Thisspiasians during the Galactic Civil War caused unease, even among some of the more tempered members of the species.
Within current Star Wars canon, the initial mention of cygnats occurred in the 2016 reference work Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded, authored by Pablo Hidalgo. These creatures first appeared in the Star Wars Legends timeline; their original mention was in the 1999 reference book Star Wars: Episode I The Visual Dictionary, penned by David West Reynolds.