Painted Metter
Descended from Subsukalensis spikus which rafted across a narrow strait to Zone E on floating vegetation, the ancestors of the painted mite managed to survive out in the desert by finding tasty new polyphs to be parasitic to--specifically, D. desertus, D. cendra, and D. flitzanius. With its small size of 1 cm in length, the painted mite is able to crawl between the otherwise dangerous spikes of these polyphs to find a good place to start sucking. Unlike its ancestor, the painted mite's ejectable spikes are tipped with venom produced in venom glands mutated from the same glands that produced pheromones in their ancestors; while not dangerous to most predators, it still causes pain and swelling similar to a bee sting. Only the tip of each spike will usually have venom on it, as producing more costs more energy than it's worth. The painted mite also has bigger eyes which can see a blurry image rather than just motion to help it spot potential predators without being easily tricked.
Like its ancestor, the painted mite lives in large groups. These are led by a dominant female that does most of the egg-laying, though other females may sneak in their own eggs as well; to accommodate fewer breeding individuals, they mate often and lay clutches of 6-10 eggs nearly every day in shaded areas on the polyphyta they suck from. These eggs are passively defended by the local group. The eggs hatch within 3 weeks, and it takes another 3 weeks for the hatchlings to reach full size.
As the painted mite has painful venom, it also has striking colors to warn potential predators. Its underside is much fluffier than its ancestor, which protects it from the hot desert sand as groups travel in search of new food sources.