Fire bugs

Description
Fire bugs are one of the numerous creatures created by Dr. Harding.Fire bugs are blue, incandescent insects which have a painful, usually deadly sting. Fire bugs live deep inside Atherton, where they are eaten by lava eels for sustenance.

Appearance in books
Fire bugs first appear in Rivers of Fire, when Isabel, Vincent, Dr. Kincaid and Samuel must traverse though several swarms to escape to the flatlands. In this time, their relationship with lava eels are also shown. Despite Isabel being stung, the group manages to reach safety.

In the Dark planet, Edgar is climbing down the side of Atherton to reach the docking bay. Inside the entrance, he is debating whether or not to continue further into the cave.However, as he turns around he realizes that a swarm of Firebugs are blocking the entrance. Looking for a way to escape, he realizes that the increased gravity of lower Atherton has prevented the Firebugs from filling the tunnel to the roof. Clinging to the wall, Edgar is able to escape being stung. When Edgar enters the Raven, he sees that there is an inner section filled with lava, which contains numerous fire bugs that are used to form screens and messages. However, the recordings left behind can be corrupted due to the bad memory of firebugs. When the Raven is traveling, Lava eels eat the firebugs to produce power.