Wirrn

The Wirrn or Wirrrn (pronounced Wir-rin) were a race of human-sized insects native to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Biology
The Wirrn were roughly human-sized, though with an anatomy more like an Earth-based insect. Their heads were made of two large golden eyes, long, floppy antennae, and three small mandibles. Underneath the head were larger mandibles which they used to talk. They communicated by squeaking, though Noah was able to speak human languages. The head was attached to a long thorax which had six long arms attached to it. Though thin, these arms were as strong as a human's and could be used for similar tasks. Underneath the thorax was a long abdomen. They could recycle carbon dioxide back into oxygen. The Fourth Doctor believed this was almost certainly done using enzymes.

Wirrn lived in space for most of their life and thus they could reuse their waste products with special enzymes, allowing them to survive without fresh air for years. They would only occasionally land on planets to gather air or food or to breed. The Wirrn's most important weakness was their vulnerability to electricity. (DW: The Ark in Space)

Life cycle
Eventually, the larvae would start to undergo metamorphosis, creating large pupae. After a few hours, full grown Wirrn came out of the pupae and set out to do the bidding of the swarm. (DW: The Ark in Space)

History
The Wirrn had a presence in the universe for a long time. A dead Wirrn was found in a prison ship that launched in 2000 BC. (DW: The Stones of Blood)

One queen ended up in Mutter's Spiral and discovered the frozen survivors of an irradiated Earth in the Ark. Though the queen was killed by a security device, it was able to implant an egg in one of the humans, Dune.

Eventually, the larva escaped and was able to infect Noah. The Wirrn intended to use the sleeping humans as a food source and to gain their advanced knowledge to help take over the "empty" Earth. However, Noah's human side reasserted itself and led the Wirrn into the Ark's transport ship, even though he knew it was rigged to explode. (DW: The Ark in Space)

In 16112, a colony of four-hundred Wirrn became frozen under Loch Lomond when it froze over. The Wirrn eventually escaped and attempted to kill all the humans, but were defeated by the Thirteenth Doctor, Zenla and Chris Parsons. (DW: Wirrn Isle)

Human colonists in Wirrn space began sacrificing one of their number to have Wirrn queens gestated inside them; due to the influence of human minds on the queens, peace was achieved between the two species. Following the expansion of GalSec and their takeover of these existing colonies, however, the sacrifices were ended. As a result, a huge and vicious war erupted between the humans and the Wirrn, lasting generations. (DW: Wirrn Dawn)

During the war, a Wirrn injected a soldier named Faroll with an egg that began to turn her into the Wirrn Queen. After fully transforming, the Wirrn Queen still retained all of Faroll's old memories, including Angela Jensen protecting her from the other soldiers; thus allowing the Twelfth Doctor to make peace between the humans and Wirrn, ending the war. (DW: Wirrn Dawn)

Legacy
While reliving his first trip to the Nerva Beacon in a virtual reality game, the Doctor encountered virtual simulations of the Wirrn. (DW: Now Those Days Are Gone)

Alternate Versions
In a universe that was formally part of the Toymaker's Realm, the Wirrn took part in the 3256 Ruimte Songfestival. (NED: Ruimte Songfestival)

List of Appearances
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Season 12 (1974-1975)

 * The Ark in Space

Season 44 (2007)

 * Wirrn Dawn

Season 47 (2010)

 * Wirrn Isle

Season 48 (2011)

 * Now Those Days Are Gone

Season 1 (2018)

 * Het Ruimtestation
 * Ruimte Songfestival (cameo)
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