I enjoyed hearing about your troll imprinting headcanons. I was wondering how that would work with the maryam's since their guardian has wings and multiple legs, and in general is very bug like(apologies if this dosen't make sense).
Hey, I’m glad you like them! Means a lot!!
My general idea was that trolls have an evolutionary sense of what a troll is supposed to look like post-pupation, kind of like regular bugs. They “know” how many legs they’re supposed to have, how many eyes they’re supposed to have, the fact that their elytra is supposed to be sealed, etc., in the same way a developing human fetus “knows” how it’s supposed to form.
Minor to extreme deviations from that formula are mutations. Mutations can form either at fetal stages or pupal stages.
Now, to more directly answer your question…
All trolls have wings- unless they have some kind of mutation/disability that prevented their formation/development- they’re just tucked away in their back. Again, sealed elytra. The fact that Rufioh/The Summoner had access to his wings from the get-go is a mutation. I can see a troll developing pronounced, unsealed wings through non-traumatic means in either fetal or pupal stages.
Development of extra limbs is seen as a severe mutation- and it’s a relatively rare one, too. Especially if it holds post-pupation. Extra grub limbs are seen as less of an issue than extra limbs as a developed, pupated troll, as the limbs of grubs already exceed the number of limbs on a troll. Oftentimes, they’re simply expected to merge into the body.
In cases where Guardians have more arthropodic traits- many limbs, wings, et cetera- the developing mind of the grub will latch onto what it feels is the best traits to guarantee survival. This often equates to which defense/offense/escape/luring mechanisms are used around them the most. For many young trolls, this includes, but is not limited to, things such as venom, poison, claws, mimicry, paw pads, urticating hair, and even bioluminescence.
The mind of a pre-pupation troll is quite malleable, and though they have an evolutionary sense of how post-pupation trolls are supposed to look- as I mentioned previously- the minor details are a bit hazy. These details tend to be filled in by the image of their Lusus. Trolls with vertical/horizontal slit pupils, nictitating membranes, tetrachromacy, biofluorescent patterns, fins, and even somewhat of a muzzle are a decently common sight- though the latter is arguably a mutation.
Trolls with an arthropodic Lusus tend to very much so look the part. The clear sectioning of the face will give off more of the impression of a carapace than it will the impression of anything comparable to human skin. Some trolls find themselves with straight up mandibles, or even chelicerae.