When lying dormant against the ground, Spore Mantises resemble fallen trees. The Spore Mantises wooden tree-like bodies allow them to blend in with the surrounding forests. The current status of the species is unknown after a fragment from one of Ghidorah's storms locks over Skull Island, making the island's ecosystem unstable and virtually uninhabitable. Confused, Chapman turned around, only to be confronted by a Skullcrawler, which promptly killed and ate him. After calling out several times, the Spore Mantis turned and walked away. Chapman scrambled to recover his machine gun and fired it at the creature, damaging its wood-like armor. Chapman fell off the log, which revealed itself as a Spore Mantis. While attempting to contact the other members of his team, Jack Chapman sat down on a fallen log, which suddenly began to move. They are less aggressive than some of the other predators on Skull Island, with one withdrawing from a potential fight with a Skullcrawler. The roars of Spore Mantises are insect-like and very high pitched despite their size. Notably, they have two fang-like mandibles used for crushing bone. They have six legs that are also encased in bark, and small heads which can retract into their log-like armor.

Spore Mantises resemble stick-insects, albeit many times larger and encased within bark-like armor. Sylas is derived from the Latin word silva, which means 'wood' or 'forest'. Phasmid is derivative of the Phasmatodea order of insects. This is equivalent to the 'up to 50 feet' statement in the cryptozoology entry, since 50 feet is 15.24 meters.The name Spore Mantis is likely a reference to the creature's flora-like and insectile physiology. The official Japanese site for the movie, run by Warner Bros, lists a length of 15 meters for the creature.The site also mentions the creatures as being carnivorous. The overall classification of the Spore Mantis is Florafaunal, sub-division Ghost Insect. The cryptozoological classification of the giant insect is 'Phasmid Sylas'. The official Discover Skull Island site features a Spore Mantis cryptozoology entry.A parasite living inside also featured bone-crushing jaws, giving it a means to attack prey. To help achieve this, the creature would bury its legs underground so that only the body would be above ground. This was achieved from its bark-like appearance, allowing it to stay motionless to be mistaken for a fallen tree. The Spore Mantis demonstrated no abnormal abilities.ĭespite a lack of powers, the creature was adept at camouflage. Instead the Spore Mantis was fleeing from a nearby Skullcrawler, which shortly afterwards attacked Chapman. The threat to the giant insect, though, was not Chapman at all. Regardless, the creature turned around and slowly walked away to retreat. Although destroying some of the bark-like skin, the Spore Mantis did not appear hurt. Chapman, though, let loose with gunfire, striking the giant insect. This tree was actually a Spore Mantis, which got up to confront him. Among those lost was Jack Chapman, who happened upon a fallen tree to rest on. After an attack from King Kong, the group became separated. This year marked a period when the Sky Devils military unit, under guidance from MONARCH, visited Skull Island. This protein-rich sap would not just digest the victim, but encase the remains in a crystalline amber.Īlthough their normal prey is unknown, the giant insects found themselves face-to-face with man in 1973. Able to crush bone, the duo would then utilize a digestive system built around sap. This secondary organism featured spiked teeth, giving the Spore Mantis a carnivorous appetite. Located under the vascular tissue is a slug-like parasite. The Spore Mantis is not a single organism, though. As a result, the Spore Mantis could on occasion move at surprising speeds. This was an interweaving of striated tendons and fibrous structural tissues, similar to tree roots. Despite appearances, the Spore Mantis featured a powerful muscle system. In the wild, the gigantic insect was fond of sitting motionless, waiting for prey to disturb it. The creature had evolved to resemble its wood surroundings, able to mimic a fallen tree. Living among the trees of Skull Island was a giant insect species known as a Spore Mantis. Your browser does not support this audio element.

Spore mantis