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Description
Inhabiting the tropical to subtropical forested ranges of both Kungara and Kushur, the moonspot imps have the widest range of all imps. They are also one of the oldest imp species, having split into a number of true subspecies rather than just races.
Together with the spotted imps the moonspots form the rufus group, which together with the closely-related umbra group are the only known imp species with notable sexual dimorphism; males have rust-coloured markings on their shoulders and backs, while both the rufus and umbra group females have a patch of yellow feathers on the sides of their heads. Still, like in all imp species, the genders are equal of size and weight, with differences being purely statistical, unless gender treatment differs for cultural reasons.
Their main range might be tropical rainforests, but moonspot imps can be found in any wooded area in the tropical and subtropical areas of Kushur and Kungara, as well as in rocky areas, where rock formations provide a structure with sufficient vertical space. Like other tropical imp species, moonspot imps have one annual moult and their gliding membranes are covered in scales rather than feather follicles.
While the cultures of moonspot imps are as diverse as their appearance, most of them have the common traits of building dwellings on trees with dug tunnels used for storage and safety, mostly nocturnal activity and a diet consisting mostly of fruit, soft plant parts, nuts, seeds, insects and other invertebrates. Use of toxic plants is very common, particularly to poison traps and to rub toxins into their feathers to ward off bloodsucking insects. Resident type cultures are the most common, with nomads or vagrants usually living in drier or gallery forests. Civilized cultures are more commonly living in rocky areas. Since moonspots prefer to live by themselves, assimilated individuals are rare, usually among eldritch races, fae or cultures of other imp species.
Moonspot imp habitats overlap with those of masked imps (in loose subtropical forests), sigil imps (southern subtropical humid forests) and spotted imps (northern subtropical forests). Relations to those species are highly variable, usually more amiable when their environment provides a sufficient amount of resources, albeit some cultures prefer cooperation with other species in nutrient-poor habitats rather than antagonizing them as competition. Animal cooperation happens mostly with birds, where a wide range of species is utilized, especially for food gathering. Among mammals, the cooperation partners are mostly forest elephant and gorillas; sometimes moonspots will cooperate with other primate species, but usually, they prefer to avoid them by being more strictly nocturnal than the imp species not having their range overlap with primates. An exception are chimpanzees, which get attacked on sight, due to them raiding dwellings and preying on moonspots if they get the chance.
The natural vocalisations of moonspot imps are very variable, but the best known are their far-carrying howls, which they use for long-distance communication and are often thought to be the screams of ghosts by adjacent human and halfling cultures.
The subspecies are differentiated by the shape of their spots, other differences are the size and the shape of the markings found in adult individuals.
The u-spot subspecies is the one with the largest range, inhabiting the tropical rainforests of Kungara. They are mostly seen as the typical examples of the species.
The v-spot subspecies lives in the drier forests and in rocky ranges of Kungara. Cultures of seasonal forests will often build up big caches for the dry season. Due to their ranges often overlapping, they often cooperate with masked imps, which are no competition for them due to different lifestyles.
The barred subspecies has a preference to wet lowland of Kungara, found along coastlines, in gallery forests and wetlands. Accordingly, their range is very discontinuous, leading to a lot of cultural isolation in the subspecies, but a lot of contact to the cultures of other moonspot subspecies. Coastline dwellers are notorious to gather a lot of their food from the sea and their religions are often centered on the ocean and its inhabitants.
The crescent subspecies can be considered a Kushurian equivalent of the barred subspecies with a preference for wet habitats, but their main habitats are humid, mountainous forests. Unlike the barred subspecies, the crescents are not inhabiting coastlines.
The capped subspecies inhabits the tropical rainforests of Kushur, with similar preferences like the Kungaran u-spots, as well as mangrove forests.
The c-spotted subspecies has its main range in the subtropical monsoon forests of Kushur. This species' cultures are more prone to build structures in the ground rather than on trees and tend to be generally more ground-based than the other subspecies.
The scythed subspecies is the most divergent of the seven, found exclusively on one isolated dolomite rock range in Kungara. They are the smallest subspecies with a different scale structure on their soles that allow them to climb more efficiently on rock. While the adjacent forests are being used for foraging, dwellings are not built in trees but instead, they inhabit caves. Painting plays a bigger role in their culture than in the other moonspots due to the cave walls lending themselves to being a longlived canvas.

Description
Inhabiting the tropical to subtropical forested ranges of both Kungara and Kushur, the moonspot imps have the widest range of all imps. They are also one of the oldest imp species, having split into a number of true subspecies rather than just races.
Together with the spotted imps the moonspots form the rufus group, which together with the closely-related umbra group are the only known imp species with notable sexual dimorphism; males have rust-coloured markings on their shoulders and backs, while both the rufus and umbra group females have a patch of yellow feathers on the sides of their heads. Still, like in all imp species, the genders are equal of size and weight, with differences being purely statistical, unless gender treatment differs for cultural reasons.
Their main range might be tropical rainforests, but moonspot imps can be found in any wooded area in the tropical and subtropical areas of Kushur and Kungara, as well as in rocky areas, where rock formations provide a structure with sufficient vertical space. Like other tropical imp species, moonspot imps have one annual moult and their gliding membranes are covered in scales rather than feather follicles.
While the cultures of moonspot imps are as diverse as their appearance, most of them have the common traits of building dwellings on trees with dug tunnels used for storage and safety, mostly nocturnal activity and a diet consisting mostly of fruit, soft plant parts, nuts, seeds, insects and other invertebrates. Use of toxic plants is very common, particularly to poison traps and to rub toxins into their feathers to ward off bloodsucking insects. Resident type cultures are the most common, with nomads or vagrants usually living in drier or gallery forests. Civilized cultures are more commonly living in rocky areas. Since moonspots prefer to live by themselves, assimilated individuals are rare, usually among eldritch races, fae or cultures of other imp species.
Moonspot imp habitats overlap with those of masked imps (in loose subtropical forests), sigil imps (southern subtropical humid forests) and spotted imps (northern subtropical forests). Relations to those species are highly variable, usually more amiable when their environment provides a sufficient amount of resources, albeit some cultures prefer cooperation with other species in nutrient-poor habitats rather than antagonizing them as competition. Animal cooperation happens mostly with birds, where a wide range of species is utilized, especially for food gathering. Among mammals, the cooperation partners are mostly forest elephant and gorillas; sometimes moonspots will cooperate with other primate species, but usually, they prefer to avoid them by being more strictly nocturnal than the imp species not having their range overlap with primates. An exception are chimpanzees, which get attacked on sight, due to them raiding dwellings and preying on moonspots if they get the chance.
The natural vocalisations of moonspot imps are very variable, but the best known are their far-carrying howls, which they use for long-distance communication and are often thought to be the screams of ghosts by adjacent human and halfling cultures.
The subspecies are differentiated by the shape of their spots, other differences are the size and the shape of the markings found in adult individuals.
The u-spot subspecies is the one with the largest range, inhabiting the tropical rainforests of Kungara. They are mostly seen as the typical examples of the species.
The v-spot subspecies lives in the drier forests and in rocky ranges of Kungara. Cultures of seasonal forests will often build up big caches for the dry season. Due to their ranges often overlapping, they often cooperate with masked imps, which are no competition for them due to different lifestyles.
The barred subspecies has a preference to wet lowland of Kungara, found along coastlines, in gallery forests and wetlands. Accordingly, their range is very discontinuous, leading to a lot of cultural isolation in the subspecies, but a lot of contact to the cultures of other moonspot subspecies. Coastline dwellers are notorious to gather a lot of their food from the sea and their religions are often centered on the ocean and its inhabitants.
The crescent subspecies can be considered a Kushurian equivalent of the barred subspecies with a preference for wet habitats, but their main habitats are humid, mountainous forests. Unlike the barred subspecies, the crescents are not inhabiting coastlines.
The capped subspecies inhabits the tropical rainforests of Kushur, with similar preferences like the Kungaran u-spots, as well as mangrove forests.
The c-spotted subspecies has its main range in the subtropical monsoon forests of Kushur. This species' cultures are more prone to build structures in the ground rather than on trees and tend to be generally more ground-based than the other subspecies.
The scythed subspecies is the most divergent of the seven, found exclusively on one isolated dolomite rock range in Kungara. They are the smallest subspecies with a different scale structure on their soles that allow them to climb more efficiently on rock. While the adjacent forests are being used for foraging, dwellings are not built in trees but instead, they inhabit caves. Painting plays a bigger role in their culture than in the other moonspots due to the cave walls lending themselves to being a longlived canvas.