Fleshbane

Fleshbanes are parasitic creatures that share a sinister yet symbiotic relationship with Blood Lilies. They are found solely on Blood Lily Island.

History
At some point in the past, Jalis knights entered the Blood Lily patch in full armour to test the length of the flowers' pollen. The armour offered protection against the threat of the Fleshbanes.

Secrets of Deltora
Doran the Dragonlover mentioned Fleshbanes alongside Blood Lilies in his book, Secrets of Deltora. He also found Forta on Blood Lily Island, grazing on the lilies and Fleshbanes. She later chose the island to hibernate on once Doran convinced her and the other dragons of Deltora to wait for the skies to be free of Ak-Baba.

However, Forta's sleep was much longer than she anticipated, and she was eaten alive by the Fleshbanes as the Blood Lilies spread across the island. They were unable to eat her egg, however, due to its thick shell.

The Deltora Book of Monsters
Josef mentioned both Blood Lilies and Fleshbanes in his book, The Deltora Book of Monsters.

Isle of the Dead
Lief, Barda and Jasmine were attacked by Fleshbanes as they crossed Blood Lily Island on their way to the Isle of the Dead. They escaped by burning a path through the lilies with Tom's fire beads. Lief called (using the Belt of Deltora) for the Diamond Dragon to come aid them. However, they found that it was eaten alive due to it being in its deep sleep. The Blood Lilies and Fleshbanes must have grown more wild after the Dragon first slept, otherwise living there amongst the Fleshbanes would not be logical.

Behaviour
Fleshbanes share a symbiotic relationship with the Blood Lily flower. The Blood Lilies' scent and nectar attract prey and their pollen numbs their extremities. The Fleshbanes, perfectly camouflaged as Blood Lily petals, take advantage of this and suck as much blood as they can from the unsuspecting victims, often to the point of death. The corpses of the Fleshbanes' prey fertilize the ground and help the Blood Lilies grow. The creatures also keep the flowers clean of pests. Fleshbanes are, however, entirely dependant on the Blood Lilies and, as Doran notes, could not survive without them.

Anatomy
Fleshbanes have adapted to look virtually identical to the petals of Blood Lilies. They are beetle-like creatures that are predominantly blood red. Their short, black legs resemble the fuzz around the edges of the Lily petals, while their antennae are yellow and resemble the flowers' stamen. While normally fairly small and thin, they can bloat quickly given sufficient time to feed. They have razor-sharp pincers, used to cut through their victims' skin.

Habitat
Because of their dependence on Blood Lilies, Fleshbanes are only found on Blood Lily Island in the Jalis Territory. The Blood Lily patch was at one point only located in the south section of the island, but without any diamond dragons to graze on the Lilies, they and the Fleshbanes spread to cover almost the entire island.

Diet
Fleshbanes, true to their name, feed on the flesh and blood of anything they come across. This usually includes birds and other animals, but they have also been known to feed on humans. Forta, the dragon of the diamond, was eaten in her sleep and stripped to the bone by Fleshbanes.