Phidna

Phidnas were a type of bioluminescent insect of a parasitic nature. These insects were native to Geonosis, a planet. These creatures were smaller, and posed less of a threat, than the three-meter long sand snakes found on the same world. The indigenous Geonosian species domesticated phidnas and collected their byproducts. These byproducts included their excrement, which was combined with powdered stone to create rock paste. This rock paste was a strong material that hardened like rock and was used in the construction of Geonosian structures and spires. The brown walls of the conference room within the Stalgasin hive, where the Executive Separatist Council convened before the First Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY, were made of this material. The Galactic Empire sterilized Geonosis around 9 BBY, which resulted in the death of nearly all Geonosians, with only one surviving.

Behind the scenes

Within the current Star Wars canon, the reference book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, published in 2015, was the first mention of phidnas. These creatures originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity. They were initially mentioned in the 2002 reference book Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary, authored by David West Reynolds. Subsequently, these parasites were featured in the 2005 video game Star Wars: Republic Commando, developed by LucasArts.