A Jade Scarab in the Crystal Desert
Scarabs are giant beetles with small hind legs and two large front legs that it uses for attacks (see picture).
Unlike in real life, in Guild Wars Scarabs are social insects, like bees or ants. As revealed in the March 2, 2006 update, Scarabs form colonies lead by a single queen that lays her eggs in an underground nest. The nest is built and guarded by Scarab Nest Builders as well as other Scarabs serving as "soldiers".
Note: Scarabs are obviously inspired by the real-life Scarab beetles, who play an important role in ancient Egyptian mythology.
Characteristics[]
Scarabs will usually be burrowed beneath the earth (invisible on the radar) and will dig up in groups of 3-4 as players approach them.
Most scarabs are Necromancers (possibly inspired by Ancient Egyptians who saw the scarab as the symbol of eternal life). They are feared mostly for their powerful touches, life stealing and health degeneration hexes. They are fragile and cannot withstand much damage, but a large number of them can easily overwhelm a party member or two.
Scarabs in the Maguuma Jungle are friendly towards other types of enemy units, unlike the ones in the Crystal Desert which will often engage other foes such as Devourers, Griffons, and Minotaurs.
On the weakness side, keep in mind that Scarabs ...
- are fleshy creatures.
- are susceptible to all conditions, incl. bleeding, poison and disease.
- leave a corpse behind.
- are not undead.
- can be knocked down.
Items dropped[]
Scarabs may drop the following loot (besides gold and various weapons and items):
| Trophies | Scarab Mandibles |
| Crafting Materials | Chitin Fragments |
| Salvage Items | ? |
Known Sub-Types[]
They are generally found in the warmer areas of the game:
| Region | Sub-Species | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| Kryta |  12 Humbug(Only during Wintersday 2005) |
- |
| Maguuma Jungle |  12, 16 Moss Scarab |
Mossy Mandible |
| Crystal Desert |  20 Rock-Eater Scarab22 Scarab Nest Builder20 Jade Scarab22 Marrow Scarab |
Jade Mandible |
| Rift (Underworld) |
- (Note:Smite Crawlers look like scarabs, but are categorized as demons.) |
- |
For an alphabetic list of all Scarabs, including bosses, see also: Category:Scarabs