The Vespid are a species of insectoid, winged xenos native to the gas giant colony-world of Vespid, numbered among the auxiliary races of the T'au Empire. Encased in chitinous exoskeletons and capable of darting flight, they make swift and deadly skirmishers, falling upon their foes from above before scattering beyond reach.
Vespid society is organised into strains descended from a central hive, and they wield distinctive weapons called neutron blasters, crystalline guns that fire lethal energy able to cut through armour with ease. In battle they are agile and aggressive, using their wings to seize high ground and strike at vulnerable targets, a role that complements the disciplined firing lines of their T'au allies.
Their loyalty to the Greater Good is a subject of quiet unease. The Vespid do not naturally share the T'au philosophy, and their cooperation is maintained through communion helms, translation devices that allow their chittering speech to be understood, and which some suspect subtly influence the wearers toward obedience. Whether willing partners or subtly controlled thralls, the Vespid remain among the more enigmatic of the auxiliaries, alien even to the empire they serve, and fight beside other client species such as the mercenary Kroot.