Verpine/Legends

Verpine were an insectoid race from the Roche asteroid belt. Verpine were well known for their technical aptitude, exemplified by the starship manufacturer Slayn & Korpil, which built the famous V-19 Torrent starfighter for the Galactic Republic and the B-wing starfighter for the Rebel Alliance. Verpine also possessed keen vision that could pick out microscopic details, the natural ability to sense and transmit radio waves to communicate with other Verpine, and a hardened carapace.

Verpine came in two types -- intelligent, hermaphroditic Verpine and unintelligent worker drones. At the time of their entrance into galactic society, only five percent of Verpine were intelligent, but the demands of technological civilization caused the Verpine to restructure their society. After the change, egg-laying Verpine used a special enzyme to ensure all eggs laid developed into intelligent Verpine. Any drones needed by a Verpine hive were produced via cloning.

Han Solo befriended a Verpine priest on Aduba-3 after rescuing the clergyman from an angry mob. Years later, he worked with a Verpine slicer named Moegid on an ill-fated mission to recover a copy of the Caamas Document from Bastion.

Behind the scenes
The insectoid priest Han Solo met in Marvel Star Wars 7 was not identified by species, though Solo referred to him as an "Insect-guy" and a "Buggie". The retcon identifying the priest as a Verpine was established in Star Wars Gamer .

This character has a yellow-green exoskeleton and large green eyes, but no visible antennae. The priest was also addressed as "Pera", meaning "Father" in High Galactic, even though other material refers to Verpines as hermaphrodites. This may be explained by the Verpine assuming a male role when interacting with other species, much like some Hutts.

It is possible that "Buggie" is a nickname for Verpines (possibly a derogatory one, since Solo used the more respectful "Pera" when addressing the priest directly).

Appearances

 * Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin, Marvel Star Wars 7: New Planets, New Perils, 1978.
 * James Luceno, Cloak of Deception, Del Rey, 2001.
 * Strike Force: Shantipole, West End Games.
 * Michael A. Stackpole, X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, Bantam Spectra, 1996.
 * Dave Wolverton, The Courtship of Princess Leia, Bantam Spectra, 1994.
 * Timothy Zahn, The Thrawn Trilogy, Bantam Spectra, 1991 - 1993.
 * Timothy Zahn, Vision of the Future, Bantam Spectra, 1998.