Witch's parasol

Witch’s Parasol (Alligisaccius Plumadens)

My creature is one that evolved from a line of animals descending from the Gomphiobus. This animal is commonly known as the “Witch’s Parasol” and inhabits arid and semi-arid environments in which it forms clusters of organisms. The Witch’s Parasol is native to the rain shadow deserts of the far left continent. Adults average at about 2.5 meters in length, but most of the animal is submerged in soil.

This species has a very unique lifestyle, as the sessile adults lay half-buried in the soil, breeding via spermatozoa-like spores released into the air via the spiracles of the males. The females, on the other hand, come equipped with highly modified fan-like forelimbs that are used to capture these spores and and fertilize themselves. These “spawns” happen only once every 4-8 years. The young are internally gestated, but emerge fully-functional from their mothers as small, burrowing, blind and wormlike predators. The larvae use their mole-like forelimbs to quickly dig through loose soil in search of living prey. They grow to be about as long as a human arm at their maximum size and capture subterranean prey using their two “tentacles” to grasp and funnel their food into their shearing beak. During years of particularly heavy rainfall and plentiful food, the larvae will use the soft, wet ground to dig a burrow and metamorphose into an adult, but this process takes months to complete- hence the need for abundant food beforehand.

Adult Witch’s Parasols are completely sessile and can go months without eating due to this low-energy lifestyle. These animals are predators that normally attack low-flying prey via two grasping “tentacles” developed from the mouthparts of their forebears which are lined gripping knobs of flesh on the inside. The inner “beak” of the Witch’s Parasol is derived from the third mouthpart and crushing device used by the Gomphiobus. This forms a type of mouth and can retract and extend itself when needed. The other tentacles are also fully retractable, and this is done during particularly harsh weather, like sandstorms, or if the animal is harassed by a larger creature. The eyes of the Witch’s Parasol are underdeveloped and mostly are used to detect general movement and changes in light level. The exposed part of the animal is also coated in a keratinous armor, while the subterranean half is naked and fatty- storing water and calories for times of hardship. The lower set of legs are also completely vestigial and lack any function. One interesting fact about the Witch’s Parasol is that fanlike forelimbs of the animal are only partially retractable, and some creatures find the fibers particularly tasty. To curb this grazing, the Witch’s Parasol often symbiotically hosts a colony of spider-like symbiotic organisms called “Blister Fleas” due to their painful sting and small size (about the size of a bullet ant). These creatures will live in colonies in the spiracles and between crevices in the armor of the Witch’s Parasol, where they get shelter. So if the Parasol is threatened, Blister Fleas will often come to the aid of their hosts, stinging the would-be attacker.

Note: The individual pictured has its feeding mechanisms extended to show anatomy, though this is not how the organism appears usually, as these appendages are normally retracted into the body at rest.