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The Billywig was a magical insect native to Australia. It was rated XXX, and was around half an inch long and of a vivid sapphire blue colour. The speed of the Billywig may be why it was rarely noticed by Muggles, and wizards and witches often only spotted it once they had been stung.[1]

Description[]

Billywig stings HM52

Billywig stings used in potions

The Billywig's wings were attached to the top of its head rotated extremely fast, spinning the Billywig so that it could fly.[1] Xenophilius Lovegood used Billywig wings for his recreation of Ravenclaw's Diadem because he believed they "induce an elevated frame of mind".[3]

The Billywig also had a long, thin stinger at the bottom of its body. Anyone stung by a Billywig would suffer giddiness, followed by levitation, which is what gave the Billywig its rating of XXX. This was also why young Australian wizards and witches tried to catch Billywigs and provoke them into stinging them. Too many stings, however, could cause the victim to hover uncontrollably for days on end. Sometimes, the victim would suffer from a severe allergic reaction, and permanent floating may have ensued.[1]

Dried Billywig stings were used as ingredients in several potions, and were believed to be a component in Fizzing Whizzbees.[1]

History[]

In 1926, several Billywigs escaped Newt Scamander's suitcase during his visit to New York.[4]

In the fifty-second edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in response to the entry about their usage as ingredients in Fizzing Whizzbees, Harry Potter or Ron Weasley wrote in the page's margin, "last time I eat them".[1]

During the Calamity in the late 2010s and early 2020s, Gethsemane Prickle demanded that all new Magizoologist members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force earn their stripes by trying to work up an immunity to Billywig stings, with each Magizoologist requiring intense concentration to avoid floating away.[5]

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 21 images related to Billywig.

Notes and references[]

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