Spore Mantis

Disguised as a log, this giant member of the Timematodea is rarely seen and more rarely observed. Like many other arthropods, it disguises itself by attaching parts of its environment to the body, but it is particularly specialized to bark, which will be stripped off both living and dead trees. Due to this behavior, the forests can support this species only in small densities; accordingly, spore mantises are very aggressive towards each other and fight viciously over territory, not rarely resulting in death for the defeated. Smaller and weaker specimens often carve out a life in the forests' borders or in open space, where out of other options, other materials are being used for disguise. The materials have to be reattached every time a spore mantis molts; while a lot of material can be salvaged from the molted exoskeleton, new material has to be added to accommodate the size increase, while too-broken or rotten pieces need to be replaced. Unlike most arthropods that use silk or hair bristles to attach material to them, the spore mantis has modified salivary glands that excrete a mixture of terpenes and polymerases that is used to glue the bark pieces to their body and hardens into a substance very similar to amber in appearance and properties, often trapping plant parts and small animals living on the bark inside. It is unknown if the ability to produce terpenes was naturally evolved or transferred from plants through the chimera virus. Lacking the size and strength to strip off bark, young spore mantises disguise themselves with moss and often climb trees in search for food, which consists mostly of plant matter, carrion and any small enough animal that can't get away fast enough. The carnivorous tendencies seem to have evolved rather recently; the gut of spore mantises is filled with huge, symbiotic nematodes that help with breaking down consumed animal matter.